DECISIONS

State – Social and Health Services, Decision 12686 (PSRA, 2017)

                                                       STATE OF WASHINGTON

                  BEFORE THE PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS COMMISSION

Herb Harris, PERC Specialist, for the Washington Federation of State Employees.

Laura L. Wulf, Assistant Attorney General, Attorney General Robert W. Ferguson, for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.

                                                            FINDINGS OF FACT

1.                  The Washington Federation of State Employees filed with the Public Employment Relations Commission a petition concerning representation of employees in the Legal Assistant and Paralegal job classes at the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.  The petition was timely filed and accompanied by a showing of interest administratively determined by the Commission to be sufficient.  No other organization is known to claim to represent the employees involved.

2.                  The existing bargaining unit represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees is described as:

All non-supervisory civil service employees of the Department of Social and Health Services in the following divisions/units: (1) DSHS Office of Appeals; (2) Economic Services Administration; (3) Aging and Adult Services Administration; (4) Children’s Administration; (5) Medical Assistance Administration; (6) Division of Fraud Investigations; (7) Financial Services Administration; (8) Alcohol and Substance Abuse Division; (9) Information Systems Services Division; (10) Management Services Fiscal Office; (11) Facilities Operations Administration in the Lands and Building Division; and (12) Background Check Central Unit; excluding confidential employees, internal auditors, supervisors, Washington Management Service members, employees excluded by orders of the State Personnel Board and/or Washington Personnel Resources Board that remain in effect, and employees included in any other bargaining unit.

3.                  All proceedings were conducted under the supervision of the Commission in a manner designed to afford the affected employees a free choice in the selection of whether they wished to be represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees in its existing bargaining unit.  An election has been conducted by Commission staff and a tally of the results previously furnished to the parties is attached hereto, and no meritorious objections have been filed with respect to these proceedings.

4.                  The existing bargaining unit represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees shall be modified to include the employees in the Legal Assistant and Paralegal job classes for a bargaining unit described as:

All non-supervisory civil service employees of the Department of Social and Health Services in the following divisions/units: (1) DSHS Office of Appeals; (2) Economic Services Administration; (3) Aging and Adult Services Administration; (4) Children’s Administration; (5) Medical Assistance Administration; (6) Division of Fraud Investigations; (7) Financial Services Administration; (8) Alcohol and Substance Abuse Division; (9) Information Systems Services Division; (10) Management Services Fiscal Office; (11) Facilities Operations Administration in the Lands and Building Division; and (12) Background Check Central Unit; excluding confidential employees, internal auditors, supervisors, Washington Management Service members, employees excluded by orders of the State Personnel Board and/or Washington Personnel Resources Board that remain in effect, and employees included in any other bargaining unit.

                                           CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

1.                  The unit described in Finding of Fact 4 is an appropriate unit for the purpose of collective bargaining within the meaning of RCW 41.80.070.

2.                  All conditions precedent to a certification have been met.

                                                               CERTIFICATION

The employees in the Legal Assistant and Paralegal job classes at the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services have chosen the

                             WASHINGTON FEDERATION OF STATE EMPLOYEES

as their representative for the purpose of collective bargaining with their employer.

ISSUED at Olympia, Washington, this  4th  day of May, 2017.

PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS COMMISSION

MICHAEL P. SELLARS, Executive Director