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Bill

Bill

SB 5273

Requiring public employers to provide employee information to exclusive bargaining representatives.

2023-2024 Regular Session Introduced by Sam Hunt and 9 co-sponsors

Washington public employers must provide employee contact information to exclusive bargaining representatives to facilitate union communication and representation activities.

By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
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Bill Summary · SB 5273

Legislative bill overview

SB 5273 requires Washington public employers to automatically provide employee information (such as names, addresses, and contact details) to unions designated as exclusive bargaining representatives. The bill streamlines the process by which unions can access employee data needed for representation and organizing purposes without requiring individual employee consent or separate requests to each employer.

Why is this important

Union access to employee contact information directly affects the ability of unions to communicate with represented workers about contract negotiations, benefits, and workplace issues. For public employers, this creates new data-sharing obligations that could impact employee privacy practices and administrative procedures. The outcome influences the balance between union organizing capacity and employee privacy expectations in the public sector.

Potential points of contention

  • Employee privacy concerns: Automatic sharing of personal contact information without explicit employee consent raises privacy questions, particularly regarding address and phone number disclosure to third parties
  • Administrative burden: Public employers must develop systems and processes to regularly provide this data, creating compliance costs and potential data security responsibilities
  • Union organizing implications: Critics argue this facilitates union organizing advantages, while supporters contend it levels the playing field by giving unions access equivalent to what employers already have

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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