S-3698.1
SENATE BILL 5895
State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session
By Senators Nobles, Stanford, Conway, Dhingra, Frame, Hasegawa, Hunt,
Keiser, Kuderer, Liias, Nguyen, Randall, Saldaña, Trudeau, and Valdez
Prefiled 12/21/23. Read first time 01/08/24. Referred to Committee
on Labor & Commerce.
1 AN ACT Relating to collective bargaining for certain employees
2 who are enrolled in academic programs at public institutions of
3 higher education; adding a new section to chapter 41.56 RCW; and
4 declaring an emergency.
5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
6 NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 41.56
7 RCW to read as follows:
8 (1)(a) In addition to the entities listed in RCW 41.56.020,
9 this chapter applies to all employees who are enrolled in an academic
10 or certificate program on any campus of Central Washington
11 University, Eastern Washington University, Western Washington
12 University, and The Evergreen State College.
13 (b) For the purposes of collective bargaining under this section,
14 an employee is considered enrolled in an academic or certificate
15 program during campus academic breaks, including any winter, spring,
16 or summer break, if the employee is employed by an institution of
17 higher education covered by (a) of this subsection over the course of
18 the campus academic break and is enrolled in an academic or
19 certificate program on any campus of the institution of higher
20 education in the quarter or semester immediately preceding, or
21 subsequent to, the campus academic break.
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 1 (c) For the purposes of this section, "employee" does not include
2 employees eligible for collective bargaining under RCW 41.56.021,
3 41.56.0215, 41.56.022, 41.56.024, 41.56.203, or 41.56.205 or chapter
4 28B.52, 41.76, or 41.80 RCW.
5 (2) A bargaining unit of all employees covered by this section is
6 the only appropriate unit for the purposes of collective bargaining
7 under this section. A bargaining unit is not appropriate if it
8 includes more than one institution of higher education.
9 (3)(a) The scope of bargaining for employees under this section
10 excludes:
11 (i) The ability to terminate the employment of any individual if
12 the individual is not meeting academic requirements as determined by
13 Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Western
14 Washington University, and The Evergreen State College;
15 (ii) The amount of tuition or fees at Central Washington
16 University, Eastern Washington University, Western Washington
17 University, and The Evergreen State College. However, tuition and fee
18 remission and waiver is within the scope of bargaining;
19 (iii) The academic calendar of Central Washington University,
20 Eastern Washington University, Western Washington University, and The
21 Evergreen State College; and
22 (iv) The number of students to be admitted to a particular class
23 or class section at Central Washington University, Eastern Washington
24 University, Western Washington University, and The Evergreen State
25 College.
26 (b)(i) Except as provided in (b)(ii) of this subsection,
27 provisions of collective bargaining agreements relating to
28 compensation must not exceed the amount or percentage established by
29 the legislature in the appropriations act. If any compensation
30 provision is affected by subsequent modification of the
31 appropriations act by the legislature, both parties must immediately
32 enter into collective bargaining for the sole purpose of arriving at
33 a mutually agreed-upon replacement for the affected provision.
34 (ii) Central Washington University, Eastern Washington
35 University, Western Washington University, and The Evergreen State
36 College may provide additional compensation to student employees
37 covered by this section that exceeds that provided by the
38 legislature.
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1 NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. This act is necessary for the immediate
2 preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of
3 the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes
4 effect immediately.
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