SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5579
As of January 20, 2022
Title: An act relating to granting Washington management service employees the right to collectively bargain.
Brief Description: Granting Washington management service employees the right to collectively bargain.
Sponsors: Senators Hunt, Keiser, Conway, Hasegawa, Lovick, Nguyen, Salda?a, Stanford and Wilson, C..
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Labor, Commerce & Tribal Affairs: 1/24/22.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Grants Washington Management Service employees the right to collectively bargain. 
SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR, COMMERCE & TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Staff: Jarrett Sacks (786-7448)
Background:

State civil service law governs the appointment, promotion, transfer, layoff, removal, discipline, and welfare of most state agency employees.  The Washington Management Service (WMS) is a separate personnel system for civil service managers within the executive branch of state government. 

 

The Personnel System Reform Act (PSRA) provides for collective bargaining of wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment with classified employees of state agencies and higher education institutions.  Employees covered by the PSRA include all state civil service employees, unless an exemption applies.  One such exemption is members of the WMS. 
Summary of Bill:

WMS employees are granted the right to collectively bargain by removing the exclusion of WMS members from the definition of employee in the PSRA and removing a provision that prohibits WMS members from being included in a collective bargaining unit.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on January 12, 2022.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.