Green River Community College v. Higher Education Personnel Board

Williams, J. —

This is another in a series of cases involv*110ing the scope of the rule-making authority of an administrative agency. In this case, petitioners Higher Education Personnel Board (HEP Board), Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE), and Washington Public Employees Association (WPEA) challenge a Court of Appeals decision which held that the HEP Board exceeded its power when it promulgated a rule providing for binding arbitration of a collective bargaining impasse and designating itself as arbitrator.

The facts are simple and undisputed. Three community colleges, Green River,…