2026 LERA Conference – Registration Open

Registration is now open for the 49th Annual Collective Bargaining and Arbitration Conference on April 9–10, 2026, at the Hotel Murano in Tacoma, Washington. See the conference website for registration rates and program details, including the agenda and speaker information.

Commission Appoints Sean Leonard as PERC Executive Director — February 2026

At its February 9 meeting, the Commission appointed Sean Leonard to be PERC’s next executive director. He will assume this role following the retirement of Mike Sellars on April 1, 2026.
 
Leonard is currently a Labor Relations Adjudicator/Mediator (LRAM) with PERC and has served in that role since 2016. In appointing Leonard, the Commission stated that Sean’s experience with labor law and the agency, his thoughtfulness about the work that we do, and his dedication to the mission of PERC will serve him well as Executive Director. Sean’s insistence on continuous learning and improvement has made him an excellent LRAM; the same will lead to success as Executive Director.
 
On his appointment, Leonard stated, “I am incredibly honored to have been selected by the Commission to be PERC’s fourth executive director. I applied for this job because I care about our mission and our values. I find the work of our agency interesting and meaningful. I’m excited to steward PERC into its next 50 years.”

Prior to coming to PERC, Leonard worked for the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace and the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, Local 17. Leonard also practiced labor law at Schwerin, Campbell, Barnard, Iglitzin & Lavitt. A lifelong Washingtonian, Leonard received his Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law and his bachelor’s degree from The Evergreen State College.
 

Does PERC provide services to private-sector parties? — November 2025

Earlier this year, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) reduced its mediation and training services as part of a federal restructuring effort. These changes have limited the support available to private-sector employers and unions.
PERC has the authority to provide similar services to private-sector parties when both sides agree, and has done so in the past. We remain committed to helping fill the gap left by FMCS’s reduced availability. For more information or to request assistance, please contact PERC at info@perc.wa.gov.

PERC’s available services include:
•  Access to PERC’s panel of private arbitrators
•  Arbitrations conducted by PERC staff
•  Grievance and contract mediation
•  Training and facilitation
•  Representation elections by agreement

Reorganization of the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act, Chapter 41.56 RCW — August 2025

The Washington State Legislature enacted Senate Bill 5435, which reorganized and added subchapter headings to chapter 41.56 RCW. The chapter is now divided by topic, including

• General Provisions (definitions, unfair labor practice provisions, and the general rights of employees)
• Application and Scope of Bargaining (statutes granting rights to some, but not all, of the employees subject to the act)
• Representation Determinations (election and card check provisions)
• Negotiations and Arbitration (mediation and grievance arbitration provisions)
• Institutions of Higher Education (statutes granting rights to employees at the higher education institutions)
• Interest Arbitration
• Chapter Construction and Limitations

Because the Office of the Code Reviser has a rule that statute numbers will not be reused, almost every statute now has a new number.

We have prepared two documents that identify and cross-reference the old and new statute numbers, one document numerically sorted by original statutes and the other sorted numerically by the new statutes. The official version is available on the legislature’s website. 

Applications for Appointment to the Law Enforcement Arbitrator Roster — August 2025

RCW 41.58.070 governs disciplinary grievance arbitrations involving law enforcement personnel in Washington state. This statute also requires the Public Employment Relations Commission to maintain a roster of 9 to 18 arbitrators to arbitrate those grievances.

PERC is now accepting applications for appointment to the roster, and the commission intends to appoint at least six arbitrators at its January 2026 meeting.
 
To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, and one sample award. Applicants who are not already on the Law Enforcement Arbitrator Roster or PERC’s Dispute Resolution Panel should also submit five letters of recommendation as specified in WAC 391-75-040. Applications should be sent to Vanessa Smith at vanessa.smith@perc.wa.gov by 5:00 p.m. PDT on September 15, 2025. 

2025 Law Enforcement Arbitrator Roster Fee Schedule Review — May 2025

At its meeting on May 12, 2025, the Commission conducted its annual review of the fee schedule for the Law Enforcement Arbitrator Roster pursuant to RCW 41.58.070(3). After considering the relevant data, the Commission kept the fee schedule as is. 

Anticipated Contracting Needs

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