Removing the exclusion from interest arbitration of Washington management service employees at the department of corrections.

SB 5039 removes an exclusion that previously prevented Washington management service employees at the Department of Corrections from using interest arbitration to resolve workplace disputes. The bill amends state law (RCW 41.80.200) to include these employees under the existing interest arbitration process, allowing them to negotiate wages, hours, and working conditions through mediation and binding arbitration if negotiations fail. This change directly affects management service employees within the Department of Corrections, granting them the same dispute resolution pathway as other covered DOC staff. The bill does not alter the arbitration procedures but expands eligibility to this specific employee group.