Washington § 49.66.010 - Purpose — Policy — Declaration.

It is the public policy of the state to expedite the settlement of labor disputes arising in connection with health care activities, in order that there may be no lessening, however temporary, in the quality of the care given to patients. It is the legislative purpose by this chapter to promote collective bargaining between health care activities and their employees, to protect the right of employees of health care activities to organize and select collective bargaining units of their own choosing.

It is further determined that any agreements involving union security including an all-union agreement or agency agreement must safeguard the rights of nonassociation of employees, based on bona fide religious tenets or teachings of a church or religious body of which such employee is a member. Such employee must pay an amount of money equivalent to regular union dues and initiation fees and assessments, if any, to a nonreligious charity or to another charitable organization mutually agreed upon by the employee affected and the representative of the labor organization to which such employee would otherwise pay dues. The employee shall furnish written proof that this has been done. If the employee and representative of the labor organization do not reach agreement on the matter, the department shall designate such organization.