Kitsap Co & Kitsap Co Sheriff, Resps v. Kitsap Co Correctional Officers Guild & Perc

¶ 1 — Faced with a directive from the board of county commissioners to cut the budget of the sheriff’s office, the Kitsap County Sheriff laid off two jail officers. The officers’ union, appellant Kitsap County Correctional Officers’ Guild, demanded to bargain the layoff decision. Kitsap County and the Kitsap County Sheriff (collectively the county) refused and proceeded to obtain a declaratory judgment that the layoff decision was not a mandatory subject of bargaining. The court perceived the Guild’s position as a demand to bargain the level of funding allocated to the jail’s budget. This was…