The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) “Faculty governance system” means the internal organization that serves as the faculty advisory body and is charged with the responsibility for recommending policies, regulations, and rules for the college or university.

(2) “Grievance arbitration” means a method to resolve disputes arising out of interpretations or application of the terms of an agreement under which the parties to a controversy must accept the decision of an impartial person or persons.

(3) “Collective bargaining” and “bargaining” mean the performance of the mutual obligation of the representatives of the employer and the exclusive bargaining representative to meet at reasonable times to bargain in good faith in an effort to reach agreement with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. A written contract incorporating any agreements reached must be executed if requested by either party. The obligation to bargain does not compel either party to agree to a proposal or to make a concession.

In the event of a dispute between an employer and an exclusive bargaining representative over the matters that are terms and conditions of employment, the commission shall decide which items are mandatory subjects for bargaining, subject to RCW 41.76.010.

(4) “Commission” means the public employment relations commission established pursuant to RCW 41.58.010.

(5) “Faculty” means employees who, at a public four-year institution of higher education, are designated with faculty status or who perform faculty duties as defined through policies established by the faculty governance system, excluding casual or temporary employees, administrators, confidential employees, graduate student employees, postdoctoral and clinical employees, and employees subject to chapter 41.06 or 41.56 RCW.

(6) “Employee organization” means any organization that includes as its members faculty of the employer and that has as one of its purposes representation of faculty under this chapter. A faculty governance system is not an employee organization as defined in this subsection.

(7) “Employer” means the board of regents or the board of trustees of a public four-year institution of higher education.

(8) “Exclusive bargaining representative” means any employee organization that has been determined by the commission to represent all of the faculty members of the bargaining unit as required in RCW 41.76.015.

(9) “Administrator” means deans, associate and assistant deans, vice provosts, vice presidents, the provost, chancellors, vice chancellors, the president, and faculty members who exercise managerial or supervisory authority over other faculty members.

(10) “Confidential employee” means (a) a person who participates directly on behalf of an employer in the formulation of labor relations policy, the preparation for or conduct of collective bargaining, or the administration of a collective bargaining agreement, if the role of the person is not merely routine or clerical in nature but calls for the consistent exercise of independent judgment; and (b) a person who assists and acts in a confidential capacity to a person in (a) of this subsection.

(11) “Bargaining unit” includes all faculty members of all campuses of each of the colleges and universities. Only one bargaining unit is allowable for faculty of each employer, and that unit must contain all faculty members from all schools, colleges, and campuses of the employer.

(12) “Public four-year institutions of higher education” means the University of Washington, Washington State University, Eastern Washington University, Western Washington University, Central Washington University, and The Evergreen State College.