Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Labor & Workforce Development Committee

HB 2681

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Description: Granting collective bargaining for postdoctoral researchers at certain state universities.

Sponsors: Representatives Stanford, Moscoso, Sullivan, Anderson, Sells, Hasegawa, Ormsby, Hunt, Fitzgibbon, Ryu, Reykdal, Hudgins, Moeller and Kenney.

Brief Summary of Bill

  • Makes the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act applicable to certain postdoctoral researchers at the University of Washington and Washington State University.

Hearing Date: 1/27/12

Staff: Jill Reinmuth (786-7134).

Background:

Certain employees of institutions of higher education are covered for purposes of collective bargaining under the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act (PECBA), the Personnel System Reform Act (PSRA), or laws applicable to faculty members and academic personnel.

The PECBA applies to the following employees of institutions of higher education:

The PSRA applies to employees of institutions of higher education covered under the state civil service law.

Other collective bargaining laws apply to public four-year institutions with respect to faculty members, and to community colleges with respect to academic personnel.

Summary of Bill:

The Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act (PECBA) applies to the University of Washington (UW) and Washington State University (WSU) with respect to certain postdoctoral researchers.

For postdoctoral researchers at the UW, the members of an appropriate bargaining unit are: research associates and research associate trainees; senior fellows and senior fellow trainees; and employees with substantially equivalent duties and responsibilities.

For postdoctoral researchers at WSU, the members of an appropriate bargaining unit are: postdoctoral research associates; and employees with substantially equivalent duties and responsibilities.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on January 26, 2012.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.