H-2926.2
HOUSE BILL 2496
State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session
By Representatives Nance, Hutchins, and Simmons
Read first time 02/08/24. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
1 AN ACT Relating to Washington state ferries captains; and
2 amending RCW 47.64.340.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
4 Sec. 1. RCW 47.64.340 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 16 s 8 are each
5 amended to read as follows:
6 (1) The captain of a Washington state ferry vessel, also known as
7 the master of a vessel or the commanding officer, is the ultimate
8 authority on, ((manager of,)) and has responsibility for, the entire
9 vessel and its Washington state ferries personnel while it is in
10 ((service)) their command. The captain's responsibilities include,
11 but are not limited to:
12 (a) Ensuring the safe navigation of the vessel and its crew and
13 passengers;
14 (b) Following all applicable international, federal, and state
15 laws and regulations, and agency policies ((and regulations));
16 (c) ((Supervising)) Directing crew in performance, operations,
17 training, security, and environmental protection;
18 (d) Overseeing all aspects of vessel operations;
19 (e) Ensuring that the vessel operations and its Washington state
20 ferries personnel satisfy performance expectations set forth by the
21 department; and
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1 (f) ((Managing)) Coordinating vessel arrivals and departures, as
2 well as all other vessel operations while the vessel is in
3 ((service)) their command.
4 (((3) [(2)] Effective July 1, 2013, the public employment
5 relations commission shall sever from the masters, mates, and pilots
6 bargaining unit all captains. By August 31, 2011, if a majority of
7 the captains in the masters, mates, and pilots bargaining unit
8 indicate by vote that they desire to be included in a newly formed
9 captains-only bargaining unit, the public employment relations
10 commission shall certify a captains-only bargaining unit, to be
11 effective July 1, 2013. For the vote described in this subsection, a
12 union seeking to represent captains does not have to demonstrate a
13 showing of interest to be included on a ballot. Notwithstanding the
14 results of a vote, captains shall remain a part of the masters,
15 mates, and pilots bargaining unit through June 30, 2013.
16 (4) [(3)] If a new captains-only bargaining unit is created, the
17 employer and the exclusive bargaining representative for the
18 captains-only bargaining unit must negotiate a collective bargaining
19 agreement exclusive to the captains-only bargaining unit.
20 (5) [(4)])) (2) By August 31, 2024, if a majority of the captains
21 in the masters and pilots bargaining unit indicate by vote that they
22 desire to be included in the combined masters, mates, and pilots
23 bargaining unit, the public employees relations commission shall
24 certify a combined masters, mates, and pilots bargaining unit, to be
25 effective July 1, 2025.
26 (3) Beginning with negotiations covering the ((2013-2015))
27 2025-2027 biennium, the employer and the exclusive bargaining
28 representative of the ((captains-only)) masters, mates, and pilots
29 bargaining unit or units must negotiate agreements that are
30 consistent with this section.
31 (((6) [(5)] A collective bargaining agreement may not contain any
32 provision that extends the term of an existing collective bargaining
33 agreement or applicability of items incompatible with this section in
34 an existing collective bargaining agreement.))
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Statutes affected: Original Bill: 47.64.340