Bill > HB1105

This bill modifies existing state law regarding collective bargaining for Department of Corrections (DOC) employees by creating a specific exemption from coalition bargaining requirements. Under the current law, exclusive bargaining representatives representing fewer than 500 employees must negotiate as part of a coalition, but the bill now excludes DOC employees with interest arbitration rights from this requirement. Specifically, for DOC employees with interest arbitration rights, the governor or the governor's designee will negotiate directly with the exclusive bargaining representative to create a single master collective bargaining agreement, rather than being required to negotiate through a larger coalition. This change means that DOC employee unions will have more direct negotiating power and can create a tailored agreement specific to their workforce, rather than being part of a broader negotiating group. The bill amends RCW 41.80.010 to add language explicitly exempting DOC employee representatives from the coalition bargaining provisions, ensuring they can negotiate their own agreements independently.