Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research | BILL ANALYSIS |
Labor & Workplace Standards Committee |
HB 2849
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: Adding certain commissioned court marshals of city police departments to the definition of uniformed personnel for the purpose of public employees' collective bargaining.
Sponsors: Representatives Goodman, Springer, Stambaugh, Sullivan and Kilduff.
Brief Summary of Bill |
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Hearing Date: 2/1/16
Staff: Trudes Tango (786-7384).
Background:
Employees of cities, counties, and other political subdivisions of the state bargain their wages and working conditions under the Public Employee's Collective Bargaining Act (PECBA).
For certain uniformed personnel, the PECBA requires binding interest arbitration if negotiations for a contract reach impasse and cannot be resolved through mediation. Under interest arbitration, an impartial third-party arbitrator makes decisions as to the unresolved terms of the contract.
Uniformed personnel include, among others: firefighters; public employer fire department employees dispatching exclusively either fire or emergency medical services, or both; law enforcement officers in cities and counties of a certain size; general authority peace officers and firefighters employed by certain port districts; correctional employees employed in jails by counties with populations of 70,000 or more, and who are trained for and responsible for the custody of inmates; security forces at a nuclear power plant; publicly employed advanced life support technicians; and Washington State Patrol officers.
Last year, a bill was enacted that added county court marshals to the definition of uniformed personnel if they are employed by, trained for, and commissioned by the county sheriff and charged with enforcing laws and maintaining security in county-owned or contracted property, and they perform duties assigned to them by the county sheriff or by judicial order.
Summary of Bill:
The interest arbitration provisions for uniformed personnel are extended to court marshals of any city with a population of more than 400,000 who are employed by, trained for, and commissioned by the city police department, who are charged with enforcing laws and maintaining security in city-owned or contracted property, and who are performing duties assigned by the city police department or mandated by judicial order.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.