(1) The public employment relations commission and its staff maintain an impartial role in all proceedings pending before the agency.

(2) The commission consists of three citizen members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate, pursuant to RCW 41.58.010. Commission members serve on a part-time basis only. All commission members represent the interests of the public. The commission reserves to itself a policy-making and appellate function.

(3) The executive director appointed by the commission pursuant to RCW 41.58.015(2) is the full-time agency head, with authority to act in administrative and personnel matters. Authority is also delegated to the executive director to make substantive decisions in certain types of cases.

(4) The commission's professional staff is appointed pursuant to RCW 41.58.015(3). A "multifunctional" staffing pattern is used, whereby individual members of the commission's professional staff are assigned from time to time to conduct any or all of the types of dispute resolution services provided by the agency. Authority is delegated to members of the professional staff to make decisions as "examiner" under chapters 391-45 and 391-95 WAC. The executive director may also delegate authority to members of the professional staff to make decisions in certain situations under chapters 391-25 and 391-35 WAC.

(5) In the event the executive director is disqualified from participation in a decision, the most senior (in terms of length of service with this agency) dispute resolution manager authorized to act as the designee of the executive director to make preliminary rulings on unfair labor practice cases under WAC 391-45-110, who has not been directly involved in the particular circumstances shall make decisions and rulings otherwise required of the executive director. Thereafter, this authority passes to the other dispute resolution managers in agency seniority order.

(6) The marine employees' commission consists of three citizen members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate, pursuant to and consistent with section 16, chapter 16 (2ESSB 5742), Laws of 2011 1st sp. sess.