(1) Any ferry employee organization certified as the bargaining representative shall be the exclusive representative of all ferry employees in the bargaining unit and shall represent all such employees fairly.

     (2) A ferry employee organization or organizations and the governor may each designate any individual as its representative to engage in collective bargaining negotiations.

     (3) Negotiating sessions, including strategy meetings of the employer or employee organizations, mediation, and the deliberative process of arbitrators are exempt from the provisions of chapter 42.30 RCW. Hearings conducted by arbitrators may be open to the public by mutual consent of the parties.

     (4) Terms of any collective bargaining agreement may be enforced by civil action in Thurston county superior court upon the initiative of either party.

     (5) Ferry system employees or any employee organization shall not negotiate or attempt to negotiate directly with anyone other than the person who has been appointed or authorized a bargaining representative for the purpose of bargaining with the ferry employees or their representative.

     (6)(a) Within ten working days after the first Monday in September of every odd-numbered year, the parties shall attempt to agree on an interest arbitrator to be used if the parties are not successful in negotiating a comprehensive collective bargaining agreement. If the parties cannot agree on an arbitrator within the ten-day period, either party may request a list of seven arbitrators from the federal mediation and conciliation service. The parties shall select an interest arbitrator using the coin toss/alternate strike method within thirty calendar days of receipt of the list. Immediately upon selecting an interest arbitrator, the parties shall cooperate to reserve dates with the arbitrator for potential arbitration between August 1st and September 15th of the following even-numbered year. The parties shall also prepare a schedule of at least five negotiation dates for the following year, absent an agreement to the contrary. The parties shall execute a written agreement before November 1st of each odd-numbered year setting forth the name of the arbitrator and the dates reserved for bargaining and arbitration. This subsection (6)(a) imposes minimum obligations only and is not intended to define or limit a party's full, good faith bargaining obligation under other sections of this chapter.

     (b) The negotiation of a proposed collective bargaining agreement by representatives of the employer and a ferry employee organization shall commence on or about February 1st of every even-numbered year.

     (c) For negotiations covering the 2009-2011 biennium and subsequent biennia, the time periods specified in this section, and in RCW 47.64.210 and 47.64.300 through 47.64.320, must ensure conclusion of all agreements on or before October 1st of the even-numbered year next preceding the biennial budget period during which the agreement should take effect. These time periods may only be altered by mutual agreement of the parties in writing. Any such agreement and any impasse procedures agreed to by the parties under RCW 47.64.200 must include an agreement regarding the new time periods that will allow final resolution by negotiations or arbitration by October 1st of each even-numbered year.

     (7) Until a new collective bargaining agreement is in effect, the terms and conditions of the previous collective bargaining agreement shall remain in force. It is the intent of this section that the collective bargaining agreement or arbitrator's award shall commence on July 1st of each odd-numbered year and shall terminate on June 30th of the next odd-numbered year to coincide with the ensuing biennial budget year, as defined by RCW 43.88.020(7), to the extent practical. It is further the intent of this section that all collective bargaining agreements be concluded by October 1st of the even-numbered year before the commencement of the biennial budget year during which the agreements are to be in effect.

     (8)(a) The governor shall submit a request either for funds necessary to implement the collective bargaining agreements including, but not limited to, the compensation and fringe benefit provisions or for legislation necessary to implement the agreement, or both. Requests for funds necessary to implement the collective bargaining agreements shall not be submitted to the legislature by the governor unless such requests:

     (i) Have been submitted to the director of the office of financial management by October 1st before the legislative session at which the requests are to be considered; and

     (ii) Have been certified by the director of the office of financial management as being feasible financially for the state.

     (b) The governor shall submit a request either for funds necessary to implement the arbitration awards or for legislation necessary to implement the arbitration awards, or both. Requests for funds necessary to implement the arbitration awards shall not be submitted to the legislature by the governor unless such requests have been submitted to the director of the office of financial management by October 1st before the legislative session at which the requests are to be considered.

     (c) The legislature shall approve or reject the submission of the request for funds necessary to implement the collective bargaining agreements or arbitration awards as a whole for each agreement or award. The legislature shall not consider a request for funds to implement a collective bargaining agreement or arbitration award unless the request is transmitted to the legislature as part of the governor's budget document submitted under RCW 43.88.030 and 43.88.060. If the legislature rejects or fails to act on the submission, either party may reopen all or part of the agreement and award or the exclusive bargaining representative may seek to implement the procedures provided for in RCW 47.64.210 and 47.64.300.

     (9) If, after the compensation and fringe benefit provisions of an agreement are approved by the legislature, a significant revenue shortfall occurs resulting in reduced appropriations, as declared by proclamation of the governor or by resolution of the legislature, both parties shall immediately enter into collective bargaining for a mutually agreed upon modification of the agreement.

[2007 c 160 § 1; 2006 c 164 § 6; 1983 c 15 § 8.]

NOTES:

     Prospective application -- Savings -- Effective dates -- 2006 c 164: See notes following RCW 47.64.011.