The legislature finds and declares that:

(1) The people of the state of Washington have a fundamental interest in developing harmonious and cooperative labor relations within the public four-year institutions of higher education.

(2) Teachers in the public school system and instructors in the community colleges in the state have been granted the opportunity to bargain collectively. It is desirable to expand the jurisdiction of the public employment relations commission to cover faculty in the state's public four-year institutions of higher education.

(3) It is the purpose of this chapter to provide the means by which relations between the boards of regents and trustees of the public four-year institutions of higher education of the state of Washington and their faculty may assure that the responsibilities and authorities granted to these institutions are carried out in an atmosphere that permits the fullest participation by faculty in determining the conditions of employment which affect them. It is the intent of the legislature to accomplish this purpose by providing a uniform structure for recognizing the right of faculty of the public four-year institutions of higher education to engage in collective bargaining as provided in this chapter, if they should so choose.

(4) It is the further purpose of this chapter to provide orderly and clearly defined procedures for collective bargaining and dispute resolution, and to define and prohibit certain practices that are contrary to the public interest.