Title: An act relating to implementing a collective bargaining agreement with Western Washington University.

Brief Description: Implementing a collective bargaining agreement with Western Washington University.

Sponsors: House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Sommers, Hasegawa, Linville, P. Sullivan, Quall, Kenney and Conway).

Brief History: Passed House: 2/09/06, 98-0.

Committee Activity: Ways & Means: 2/21/06, 2/22/06 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by Senators Prentice, Chair; Fraser, Vice Chair, Capital Budget Chair; Doumit, Vice Chair, Operating Budget; Zarelli, Ranking Minority Member; Brandland, Fairley, Kohl-Welles, Parlette, Pflug, Pridemore, Rasmussen, Regala, Rockefeller, Schoesler and Thibaudeau.

Staff: Erik Sund (786-7454)

Background: Collective bargaining agreements must be submitted to the Office of Financial Management and to the Legislature as part of the Governor's budget proposal. The Legislature must accept or reject the request for funds necessary to implement the agreements as a whole.

In 2004, the Washington Public Employees' Association (WPEA) was certified to represent Bargaining Unit C in collective bargaining with Western Washington University (WWU). The WPEA reached an agreement with WWU, which was submitted to the Governor, and funded and approved by the Legislature in the 2005-07 biennial budget. Among other things, the agreement provided cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) effective July 1 of 2005 and 2006, along with salary survey adjustments.

By June 2005, the employees in Unit C decertified WPEA as their bargaining representative and certified the Public School Employees (PSE) to represent them. At this time, Bargaining Unit C was renamed Professional Technical Employees (PTE). This action negated the agreement between the WPEA and WWU. Additionally, since this bargaining unit elected a new union to represent them, they were not covered by the September 1 COLA for non-represented employees.
An agreement was reached between the PSE and WWU in October 2005, and a contract was submitted to the Legislature for approval. Western Washington University currently has an appropriation sufficient to fund the economic terms of the new contract.

Summary of Bill: The collective bargaining agreement between the PTE, represented by the Public School Employees of Washington, and Western Washington University is approved. Economic provisions of the agreement include a 3.2 percent salary increase retroactive to July 1, 2005; a 1.6 percent increase effective July 1, 2006 until June 30, 2007; and for implementation of a salary survey adjustment.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For: The necessary funds have already been appropriated. The sooner this bill is enacted, the sooner the money will reach the employees at Western Washington University.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Tom Lopp, Public School Employees.