(1) It shall be the duty of the commission, in order to prevent or minimize interruptions growing out of labor disputes, to assist employers and employees to settle such disputes through mediation and fact-finding.

(2) The commission, through the director, may proffer its services in any labor dispute arising under a collective bargaining statute administered by the commission, either upon its own motion or upon the request of one or more of the parties to the dispute, whenever in its judgment such dispute threatens to cause a substantial disruption to the public welfare.

(3) If the director is not able to bring the parties to agreement by mediation within a reasonable time, the director shall seek to induce the parties to voluntarily seek other means of settling the dispute without resort to strike or other coercion, including submission to the employees in the bargaining unit of the employer’s last offer of settlement for approval or rejection in a secret ballot. The failure or refusal of either party to agree to any procedure suggested by the director shall not be deemed a violation of any duty or obligation imposed by this chapter.

(4) Final adjustment by a method agreed upon by the parties is declared to be the desirable method for settlement of grievance disputes arising over the application or interpretation of an existing collective bargaining agreement. The commission is directed to make its mediation and fact-finding services available in the settlement of such grievance disputes only as a last resort.

Intent—Severability—Effective date—1993 c 379: See notes following RCW 28B.10.029.