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Committee hears bill to restore interest arbitration eligibility for WMS employees at DOC
Summary
Senate Bill 5039 would remove an exclusion that currently prevents Washington Management Service (WMS) employees at the Department of Corrections from accessing interest arbitration; supporters described the change as a technical fix to align managers' bargaining rights with other covered employees.
The Senate Labor & Commerce Committee heard Senate Bill 5039 on Jan. 24, which would remove the exclusion that prevents Washington Management Service (WMS) employees at the Department of Corrections from being eligible for interest arbitration.
Committee staff Jared Sachs told members that the Personnel System Reform Act (PSRA) governs collective bargaining for state agencies and that while the PSRA previously excluded WMS employees from collective bargaining, that exclusion was removed in 2023. However, DOC employees retained an exclusion from interest arbitration for members of WMS. The bill would remove that exclusion, making WMS members at DOC eligible for interest arbitration when bargaining reaches impasse.
Sachs noted a fiscal note for the House companion bill estimating a cost of $450,000 to the Department of Corrections for the biennium. Brenda Wiest of Teamsters Local 117 called the bill a “technical fix” and said it would simplify bargaining logistics and address wage compression between managers and unionized staff.
No committee action was taken at the hearing. Supporters urged the committee to correct the statutory inconsistency and to work with OFM and agencies on the fiscal estimate cited by DOC.
Why it matters: Interest arbitration is an important remedy for public employees who cannot strike; the bill would extend that remedy to WMS managers at DOC and aligns the bargaining process for managers and represented staff.
