WashingtonWestern Washington University student workers can bargain together
Western Washington University’s covered nonacademic student workers can bargain together, including some workers employed during breaks if they meet the enrollment rules.
What it does
Certain nonacademic student employees at Western Washington University can bargain together as a group. Workers already covered by other bargaining laws and certain excluded employees do not qualify.
Bargaining leaves some academic and enrollment decisions to the university, while allowing talks over tuition and fee waivers. Pay terms generally follow state budget limits, though the university may pay more.
Argument forEligible student workers could bargain together over workplace terms, and the university may agree to pay them more than the state funding limit.
Argument againstWorkers may have less room to bargain over job protections because the university can still end a job when a worker fails its academic requirements, and some subjects stay off the table.
More detail
The law includes covered student workers in the state collective bargaining chapter and makes them an appropriate bargaining unit at Western Washington University. It covers nonacademic student employees enrolled in an academic or certificate program at any Western Washington University campus, in listed jobs or jobs with substantially similar duties. Workers already eligible to bargain under the listed state laws are excluded. Employees barred from bargaining under another cited law are also excluded. For work during a campus academic break, enrollment counts if the worker is employed during the break and enrolled in the term immediately before or after it.
The law limits which subjects covered workers may bargain over and sets a general limit on compensation terms in their agreements. These limits apply to agreements for the covered Western Washington University student employees. Bargaining cannot cover ending a worker's job for failing academic requirements, tuition or fee amounts, the academic calendar, or how many students enter a class. Tuition and fee waivers or reductions may be bargained over. Agreement terms on compensation generally cannot exceed the amount or percentage set in the state budget. The university may provide higher compensation. If a later change to the state budget affects an agreement's compensation terms, both sides must promptly bargain only over a replacement for those terms.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 18Effective date 3/18/2026.Latest
- Mar 18Chapter 113, 2026 Laws.Major
- Mar 18Governor Bob Ferguson signed.Became Law
- Mar 6Delivered to Governor.To Governor
- Mar 6President signed.Passed Senate
- Mar 5Speaker signed.Passed House
- Mar 4Third reading, passed; yeas, 29; nays, 19; absent, 0; excused, 1.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#16). Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 4Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.Minor
- Mar 3Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.Minor
- Mar 2Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- Mar 2Minority; do not pass.Minor
- Mar 2WM - Majority; do pass.Minor
- Mar 2Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 10:30 AM.
- Feb 27Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 2:30 PM.
- Feb 25Referred to Ways & Means.Minor
- Feb 24Minority; do not pass.Minor
- Feb 24And refer to Ways & Means.Minor
- Feb 24LC - Majority; do pass.Minor
- Feb 24Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce at 10:45 AM.
- Feb 17First reading, referred to Labor & Commerce.Minor
- Feb 14Third reading, passed; yeas, 58; nays, 35; absent, 0; excused, 5.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#3). Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 14Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.Minor
- Feb 141st substitute bill substituted (APP 26).Major
- Feb 12Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.Minor
- Feb 5Referred to Rules 2 Consideration.Minor
- Feb 5Committee relieved of further consideration.
- Feb 4Referred to Appropriations.Minor
- Feb 2Minority; without recommendation.Minor
- Feb 2Minority; do not pass.Minor
- Feb 2APP - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.Major
- Feb 2Executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations at 4:00 PM.
- Jan 26Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 4:00 PM.
- Jan 12By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
- 2025
- Feb 22Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 9:00 AM.
- Feb 17Referred to Appropriations.Minor
- Feb 14Minority; without recommendation.Minor
- Feb 14Minority; do not pass.Minor
- Feb 14LAWS - Majority; do pass.Minor
- Feb 14Executive action taken in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards at 10:30 AM.
- Feb 5Public hearing in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards at 8:00 AM.
- Jan 24First reading, referred to Labor & Workplace Standards.Introduced
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