State civil service law governs the appointment, promotion, transfer, layoff, removal, discipline, and other personnel matters of most state agency employees. The Washington Management Service (WMS) is a separate personnel system for managers within state government. Agencies have delegated authority to determine if a position is appropriate for WMS. A manager is any employee of a position that:

• formulates statewide policy or directs the work of an agency or agency subdivision;
• administers one or more statewide policies or programs of an agency or agency subdivision;
• manages, administers, and controls a local branch office of an agency or an agency subdivision, including the physical, financial or personnel resources;
• has substantial responsibility in personnel administration, legislative relations, public information or the preparation and administration of budgets; or
• functions above the first level of supervision and exercises authority that is not merely routine or clerical in nature and requires the consistent use of independent judgment.

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 institutions of higher education. Employees covered under the PSRA include all state civil service employees, unless an exemption applies. One such exemption is members of WMS.

WMS employees are granted the right to collectively bargain. WMS employees excluded from bargaining are: 

• in positions within salary bands three, four, and medical;
• human resource managers;
• budget managers;
• risk and litigation managers;
• employees in positions whose primary official duties include conducting employee related investigations, including possible unfair practices under the Washington Law Against Discrimination, unlawful conduct, conduct violating an agency's internal policy, or employee misconduct or performance;
• employees in positions that report directly to an assistant secretary, deputy secretary, agency director, or equivalent; and 
• employees who are already excluded under the PSRA.

Bargaining over wages is limited to salary band levels, not individual WMS classifications or positions. 

Generally, the only bargaining units that may be designated are a supervisory or nonsupervisory unit of all salary band one and salary band two WMS employees within an agency. However, more than two bargaining units may be designated at the following agencies: 

• Department of Corrections;
• Department of Social and Health Services;
• Department of Children, Youth, and Families;
• Department of Transportation;
• Department of Health;
• Health Care Authority;
• Department of Natural Resources;
• Department of Enterprise Services;
• Department of Ecology;
• Employment Security Department; and
• Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Any agreement entered into with WMS employees may not take effect before July 1, 2025. Negotiations for eligible WMS employees must be within the bargaining agreements under the provision requiring one master bargaining agreement when the exclusive bargaining representative represents more than one bargaining unit. 

No public hearing was held.