WA HB2409

Agricultural employees in Washington State gain collective bargaining rights, including freedom of association, self-organization, and the ability to designate representatives to negotiate wages, hours, and working conditions with employers

The Public Employment Relations Commission receives jurisdiction over agricultural labor disputes, with authority to certify bargaining representatives through either a cross-check of authorization cards (requiring >50% support) or secret ballot elections (held within 10 calendar days of a 30% showing)

If parties fail to reach a collective bargaining agreement within 3 months of certification or contract expiration, mandatory interest arbitration is triggered where an arbitrator issues a binding decision on all disputed items

"Agricultural employee" covers workers engaged in farming, dairying, livestock, harvesting, and processing/packing of agricultural products, meat, fish, and perishable foods, but excludes supervisors, managers, family members within third degree of consanguinity, and those covered under the federal National Labor Relations Act

The commission must administer procedures in an expeditious, linguistically appropriate manner to address barriers faced by seasonal workers and limited English proficient employees, and farmworker labor organizations are added to the existing union-representative privilege statute