King County v. Public Employment Relations Commission

— When the Director of the King County Jail ordered nurses at the jail to stop covering their surnames on their identification badges, the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC), alleging that the jail had failed to bargain with the nurses as required by the Public Employees Collective Bargaining Act. Both PERC and the trial court agreed with WSNA that the jail was required to bargain over the issue. The jail appeals, alleging that its identification policy is not a mandatory bargaining subject…