No court of the state of Washington or any judge or judges thereof shall have jurisdiction to issue any restraining order or temporary or permanent injunction in a case involving or growing out of a labor dispute, except in a strict conformity with the provisions of this chapter; nor shall any such restraining order or temporary or permanent injunction be issued contrary to the public policy declared in this chapter.
[ 1933 ex.s. c 7 § 1; RRS § 7612-1. Cf. 1919 c 185 § 2; ]
In the interpretation of this chapter and in determining the jurisdiction and authority of the courts of the state of Washington, as such jurisdiction and authority are herein defined and limited, the public policy of the state of Washington is hereby declared as follows:
WHEREAS, Under prevailing economic conditions, developed with the aid of governmental authority for owners of property to organize in the corporate and other forms of ownership association, the individual unorganized worker is commonly helpless to exercise actual liberty of contract and to protect his or her freedom of labor, and thereby to obtain acceptable terms and conditions of employment, wherefore, though he or she should be free to decline to associate with his or her fellows, it is necessary that he or she have full freedom of association, self-organization, and designation of representatives of his or her own choosing, to negotiate the terms and conditions of his or her employment, and that he or she shall be free from interference, restraint, or coercion of employers of labor, or their agents, in the designation of such representatives or in self-organization or in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protections; therefore, the following definitions of, and limitations upon, the jurisdiction and authority of the courts of the state of Washington are hereby enacted.
[ 2010 c 8 § 12028; 1933 ex.s. c 7 § 2; RRS § 7612-2; ]
Any undertaking or promise, such as is described in this section, or any other undertaking or promise in conflict with the public policy declared in RCW 49.32.020, is hereby declared to be contrary to the public policy of the state of Washington, shall not be enforceable in any court of the state of Washington, and shall not afford any basis for the granting of legal or equitable relief by any such court, including specifically the following:
Every undertaking or promise hereafter made, whether written or oral, express or implied, constituting or contained in any contract or agreement of hiring or employment between any individual, firm, company, association, or corporation and any employee or prospective employee of the same, whereby:
Either party to such contract or agreement undertakes or promises not to join, become, or remain a member of any labor organization or of any employer organization; or
Either party to such contract or agreement undertakes or promises that he or she will withdraw from an employment relation in the event that he or she joins, becomes, or remains a member of any labor organization or of any employer organization.
[ 2010 c 8 § 12029; 1933 ex.s. c 7 § 3; RRS § 7612-3; ]
No court of the state of Washington shall have jurisdiction to issue any restraining order or temporary or permanent injunction in any case involving or growing out of any labor dispute or prohibit any person or persons participating or interested in such dispute (as these terms are herein defined) from doing, whether singly or in concert, any of the following acts:
Ceasing or refusing to perform any work or to remain in any relation of employment;
Becoming or remaining a member of any labor organization or of any employer organization, regardless of any such undertaking or promise as is described in RCW 49.32.030;
Paying or giving to, or withholding from, any person participating or interested in such labor dispute any strike or unemployment benefits or insurance or other moneys or things of value;
By all lawful means aiding any person participating or interested in any labor dispute who is being proceeded against in, or is prosecuting, any action or suit in any court of the United States or of any state;
Giving publicity to the existence of, or the facts involved in, any labor dispute, whether by advertising, speaking, patrolling, or by any other method not involving fraud or violence;
Assembling peaceably to act or to organize to act in promotion of their interests in a labor dispute;
Advising or notifying any person of an intention to do any of the acts heretofore specified;
Agreeing with other persons to do or not to do any of the acts heretofore specified; and
Advising, urging, or otherwise causing or inducing without fraud or violence the acts heretofore specified, regardless of any such undertaking or promise as is described in RCW 49.32.030.
[ 1933 ex.s. c 7 § 4; RRS § 7612-4; ]
No court of the state of Washington or any judge or judges thereof shall have jurisdiction to issue a restraining order or temporary or permanent injunction upon the ground that any of the persons participating or interested in a labor dispute constitute or are engaged in an unlawful combination or conspiracy because of the doing in concert of the acts enumerated in RCW 49.32.050.
[ 1933 ex.s. c 7 § 5; RRS § 7612-5; ]
No officer or member of any association or organization, and no association or organization participating or interested in a labor dispute, shall be held responsible or liable in any court of the state of Washington for the unlawful acts of individual officers, members, or agents, except upon clear proof of actual participation in, or actual authorization of, such acts, or of ratification of such acts after actual knowledge thereof.
[ 1933 ex.s. c 7 § 6; RRS § 7612-6; ]
No court of the state of Washington or any judge or judges thereof shall have jurisdiction to issue a temporary or permanent injunction in any case involving or growing out of a labor dispute, as herein defined, except after hearing the testimony of witnesses in open court (with opportunity for cross-examination) in support of the allegations of a complaint made under oath, and testimony in opposition thereto, if offered, and except after findings of fact by the court, to the effect—
That unlawful acts have been threatened and will be committed unless restrained or have been committed and will be continued unless restrained, but no injunction or temporary restraining order shall be issued on account of any threat or unlawful act excepting against the person or persons, association, or organization making the threat or committing the unlawful act or actually authorizing or ratifying the same after actual knowledge thereof;
That substantial and irreparable injury to complainant's property will follow;
That as to each item of relief granted greater injury will be inflicted upon complainant by the denial of relief than will be inflicted upon defendants by the granting of relief;
That complainant has no adequate remedy at law; and
That the public officers charged with the duty to protect complainant's property are unable or unwilling to furnish adequate protection.
Such hearing shall be held after due and personal notice thereof has been given, in such manner as the court shall direct, to all persons against whom relief is sought, and also to the chief of those public officials of the county and city within which the unlawful acts have been threatened or committed charged with the duty to protect complainant's property: PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That if a complainant shall also allege that, unless a temporary restraining order shall be issued without notice, a substantial and irreparable injury to complainant's property will be unavoidable, such a temporary restraining order may be issued upon testimony under oath, sufficient, if sustained, to justify the court in issuing a temporary injunction upon a hearing after notice. Such a temporary restraining order shall be effective for no longer than five days and shall become void at the expiration of said five days. No temporary restraining order or temporary injunction shall be issued except on condition that complainant shall first file an undertaking with adequate security in an amount to be fixed by the court sufficient to recompense those enjoined for any loss, expense, or damage caused by the improvident or erroneous issuance of such order or injunction, including all reasonable costs (together with a reasonable attorneys' fee) and expense of defense against the order or against the granting of any injunctive relief sought in the same proceeding and subsequently denied by the court.
The undertaking herein mentioned shall be understood to signify an agreement entered into by the complainant and the surety upon which a decree may be rendered in the same suit or proceeding against said complainant and surety, upon a hearing to assess damages of which hearing complainant and surety shall have reasonable notice, the said complainant and surety submitting themselves to the jurisdiction of the court for that purpose. But nothing herein contained shall deprive any party having a claim or cause of action under or upon such undertaking from electing to pursue his or her ordinary remedy by suit at law or in equity.
[ 2012 c 117 § 130; 1933 ex.s. c 7 § 7; RRS § 7612-7; ]
No restraining order or injunctive relief shall be granted to any complainant who has failed to comply with any obligation imposed by law which is involved in the labor dispute in question, or who has failed to make every reasonable effort to settle such dispute either by negotiation or with the aid of any available governmental machinery of mediation or voluntary arbitration.
[ 1933 ex.s. c 7 § 8; RRS § 7612-8; ]
No restraining order or temporary or permanent injunction shall be granted in a case involving or growing out of a labor dispute, except on the basis of findings of fact made and filed by the court in the record of the case prior to the issuance of such restraining order or injunction; and every restraining order or injunction granted in a case involving or growing out of a labor dispute, shall include only a prohibition of such specific act or acts as may be expressly complained of in the complaint or petition filed in such case and as shall be expressly included in said findings of fact made and filed by the court as provided herein.
[ 1933 ex.s. c 7 § 9; RRS § 7612-9; ]
Whenever any court of the state of Washington shall issue or deny any temporary injunction in a case involving or growing out of a labor dispute, the court shall, upon the request of any party to the proceedings, and on his or her filing the usual bond for costs, forthwith certify the entire record of the case, including a transcript of the evidence taken, to the supreme court or the court of appeals for its review. Upon the filing of such record in the supreme court or the court of appeals, the appeal shall be heard and the temporary injunctive order affirmed, modified, or set aside with the greatest possible expedition, giving the proceedings precedence over all other matters except older matters of the same character.
[ 2010 c 8 § 12030; 1971 c 81 § 116; 1933 ex.s. c 7 § 10; RRS § 7612-10; ]
In all cases arising under this chapter in which a person shall be charged with contempt in a court of the state of Washington, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury of the county wherein the contempt shall have been committed: PROVIDED, That this right shall not apply to contempts committed in the presence of the court or so near thereto as to interfere directly with the administration of justice or to apply to the misbehavior, misconduct or disobedience of any officer of the court in respect to the writs, orders, or process of the court.
[ 1933 ex.s. c 7 § 11; RRS § 7612-11; ]
The defendant in any proceeding for contempt of court may file with the court a demand for the retirement of the judge sitting in the proceeding, if the contempt arises from an attack upon the character or conduct of such judge and if the attack occurred elsewhere than in the presence of the court or so near thereto as to interfere directly with the administration of justice. Upon the filing of any such demand the judge shall thereupon proceed no further, but another judge shall be designated in the same manner as provided by law. The demand shall be filed prior to the hearing of the contempt proceeding.
[ 1933 ex.s. c 7 § 12; RRS § 7612-12; ]
When used in this chapter, and for the purpose of this chapter:
A case shall be held to involve or to grow out of a labor dispute when the case involves persons who are engaged in the same industry, trade, or occupation; or have direct or indirect interests therein; or who are employees of the same employer; or who are members of the same or an affiliated organization of employers or employees; whether such dispute is (a) between one or more employers or associations of employers and one or more employees or associations of employees; (b) between one or more employers or associations of employers and one or more employers or association of employers; or (c) between one or more employees or association of employees and one or more employees or association of employees; or when the case involves any conflicting or competing interests in a "labor dispute" (as hereinafter defined) of "persons participating or interested" therein (as hereinafter defined).
A person or association shall be held to be a person participating or interested in a labor dispute if relief is sought against him or her or it, and if he or she or it is engaged in the same industry, trade, craft, or occupation in which dispute occurs, or has a direct or indirect interest therein or is a member, officer, or agent of any association composed in whole or in part of employers or employees engaged in such industry, trade, craft, or occupation.
The term "labor dispute" includes any controversy concerning terms or conditions of employment, or concerning the association or representation of persons in negotiating, fixing, maintaining, changing, or seeking to arrange terms or conditions of employment, regardless of whether or not the disputants stand in the proximate relation of employer and employee.
[ 2010 c 8 § 12031; 1933 ex.s. c 7 § 13; RRS § 7612-13; ]
All acts and parts of acts in conflict with the provisions of this chapter are hereby repealed.
[ 1933 ex.s. c 7 § 15; RRS § 7612-15; ]