DECISIONS

Central Valley Ambulance Authority, Decision 12670 (PECB, 2017)

STATE OF WASHINGTON

BEFORE THE PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS COMMISSION

SaNni M-K Lemonidis, Attorney at Law, for the International Association of FireFighters, Local 3427.

Katherine F. Weber, Attorney at Law, for the Central Valley Ambulance Authority.

On January 27, 2017, the International Association of Firefighters, Local 3427, (union) filed a unit clarification petition under WAC 391-35-085 asking that the Commission amend an existing bargaining unit certification to reflect a change in the name of the public employer.  The union also requests that the bargaining unit description be updated to reflect the employees’ eligibility for interest arbitration.  The Central Valley Ambulance Authority (employer) does not oppose the union’s petition.^[1]  Because the petition does seek alteration of the configuration of the existing bargaining unit and does not raise a question concerning representation, the request for amendments to the existing certifications are granted.

The union represents a bargaining unit of paramedics that is currently described as, “All full-time and part-time paramedics, excluding on-call paramedics, supervisors, managers and confidential employees.”  Affiliated Health Services, Decision 4472 (PECB, 1993).

When the bargaining unit was originally certified, the employer of record was Affiliated Health Services (a/k/a Skagit Public Hospital District 304).  Additionally, the paramedics were not considered uniformed employees eligible for interest arbitration.  Affiliated Health Services, Decision 4257 (PECB, 1992).

Two changes have occurred since the bargaining unit was originally certified.  First, the employer changed its name to the Central Valley Ambulance Authority.  Second, the legislature amended the Public Employees Collective Bargaining Act, Chapter 41.56 RCW, to define the paramedics as uniformed employees who are eligible for interest arbitrations.  That change occurred in 1993, shortly after the bargaining unit was certified.  See Laws of 1993, ch. 398.

The parties do not dispute for purposes of this petition that the Central Valley Ambulance Authority continues to be the employer or record for the bargaining unit represented by the union.  The parties also do not dispute the fact that the paramedics are eligible for interest arbitration under RCW 41.56.030(13)(h).

DISCUSSION

The Commission’s rules provide a process for an organization to petition for an amendment to an existing certification under WAC 391-35-085, which states:

A party may file a petition to amend an existing certification, and the executive director may amend the certification, provided that the purpose of the amendment is to reflect changed circumstances such as the name of the labor organization or the name of an employer, and the bargaining unit is not affected by the change and there is no question concerning representation.

Here, the union’s petition merely seeks to amend the existing certification to reflect that the employer has changed its name to the Central Valley Ambulance Authority.  The union also seeks an amendment to the bargaining unit description to reflect the uniformed status of the paramedics because when the bargaining unit was originally certified, the paramedics were not considered uniformed employees.  The bargaining unit’s structure has not been altered, and no question concerning representation exists.

NOW, THEREFORE, it is

ORDERED

1.                  The certification issued in Affiliated Health Services, Decision 4472 (PECB, 1993) is amended to reflect that the public employer has changed its name to the Central Valley Ambulance Authority.

2.                  The bargaining unit description issued in Affiliated Health Services, Decision 4472 (PECB, 1993) is amended to read as follows:

All full-time and regular scheduled part-time uniformed paramedics of Central Valley Ambulance Authority, excluding supervisors, confidential employees, and all other employees.

3.                  The amendment to the certification issued in this proceeding does not give rise to a new “certification bar” year under RCW 41.56.070 or WAC 391-25-030(2).

ISSUED at Olympia, Washington, this  22nd  day of March, 2017.

PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS COMMISSION

MICHAEL P. SELLARS, Executive Director

This order will be the final order of the

agency unless a notice of appeal is filed

with the Commission under WAC 391-35-210.