Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1983 NO. 25 >

Employees of the state an of its political subdivisions are not entitled as a matter of right to a leave of absence to attend week end or week night military reserve meetings held during the employees' working hours.

AGLO 1976 NO. 26 >

RCW 28A.58.730 does not permit a school district to require its employees to participate in a direct deposit payroll program established thereunder.

AGLO 1977 NO. 27 >

(1) It is only permissible for a community college to authorize released time, without loss of compensation, for union activities by its employees if it can readily be shown, based upon the factual circumstances involved, that the work thus being performed is also of significant benefit to the college as employer.

(2) The board of trustees of a community college may agree to provide community college property and facilities to a teachers' union or other employee organization only if (a) such use of the property or facilities is not inconsistent with the purposes of the college and (b) some form of equivalent consideration is provided for in return.

AGO 1983 NO. 27 >

(1) The Washington State Convention and Trade Center corporation which was created pursuant to § 2, chapter 34, Laws of 1982 to construct and operate the State convention and Trade Center is a state agency for purposes of the state civil service law, chapter 41.06 RCW.(2) Identification, based upon the foregoing conclusion, of those offices or positions within the corporation which are, nevertheless, exempt from civil service coverage under RCW 41.06.070.

AGLO 1975 NO. 27 >

A community college, pursuant to contract, may legally pay its academic employees their salaries in twelve equal installments commencing in September and concluding in August of the succeeding year where the employee in question is assigned to teach fall, winter and spring quarters; or fall, winter and summer quarters; or fall, spring and summer quarters, but not winter, spring and summer quarters.

AGLO 1975 NO. 28 >

(1) The legislature can require those cities which desire not to have their employees covered by a state pension system to establish and maintain a local, municipal pension system for all of their law enforcement officers and fire fighters who are currently members of the state law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system (LEOFF), as codified in chapter 41.26 RCW. (2) In the event a city determines to stay out of a proposed state pension system, the city may, in the event that it is currently operating a pension system of its own for its general, municipal employees, include within the coverage of that system any new fire fighters or law enforcement officers employed by it after the effective date of a state law which disqualifies all such newly employed fire fighters or law enforcement officers from coverage under the LEOFF system.

AGO 1978 NO. 28 >

(1) There is, at present, no state statutory authority whereby a state employee may cause portions of his or her salary or wages to be withheld, through a payroll deduction system, for the specified purpose of making voluntary political contributions to a labor union or other employee organization.   (2) Nothing contained in the Federal Elections Campaign Act of 1971, as amended, either authorizes or requires a state to provide for a system of payroll deductions in order to facilitate voluntary political contributions by state employees.

AGLO 1977 NO. 30 >

The state board for community college education may not use funds from the appropriation contained in § 114, chapter 339, Laws of 1977, 1st Ex.Sess., to fund staff positions in minority affairs in the office of the state board itself.

AGLO 1974 NO. 31 >

Where a school district has entered into a supplemental contract with a certificated employee to serve as high school principal and athletic coach, as provided for in RCW 28A.67.074, the district may not terminate that individual's employment as principal and coach during the term of such contract without compliance with RCW 28A.58.450; it may, however, elect not to renew the contract without compliance with RCW 28A.67.070.

AGLO 1976 NO. 31 >

A discussion of the relationship between RCW 73.16.010, RCW 41.04.010 and 41.06.150 with respect to the preference rights of veterans in public employment with the state and its political subdivisions.