Washington § 49.99.140 - Enforceability of existing agreements — Changes in working conditions.

(1) Notwithstanding the possible cessation of any duty on the part of any employer or labor organization to comply with the terms of any collective bargaining agreement reached under the auspices of federal labor law, any such agreement reached between any employer or exclusive bargaining representative as defined in this chapter remains a contractually binding agreement and is enforceable on its terms.

(2) Upon the certification of an exclusive bargaining representative for the employer's employees, the employer has the duty to engage in collective bargaining with the exclusive bargaining representative before changing any wages, hours, or working conditions of the represented employees. Any allegation by the exclusive bargaining representative that the employer has made a unilateral change in wages, hours, and working conditions may be presented for resolution to an arbitrator mutually selected and compensated by the parties, or by application of the exclusive bargaining representative to the commission for provision of the arbitrator.

(3) Should a collective bargaining agreement between the exclusive bargaining representative and the employer expire, its provisions, except any prohibition on strikes or lockouts, continue in force until renegotiated. During the agreement's hiatus, any allegation by the exclusive bargaining representative that the employer has made a unilateral change in wages or economic benefits may be presented for resolution to an arbitrator mutually selected and compensated, or by application of the exclusive bargaining representative to the commission for provision of the arbitrator.

(4) Upon the failure of the employer and the exclusive bargaining representative to conclude a collective bargaining agreement within six months of certification of the exclusive bargaining representative or within six months of the expiration of the last collective bargaining agreement, all matters remaining in dispute must be submitted by the parties to the commission for resolution through its interest arbitration procedures.