No specific laws identified for this ruling.
Washington County prevailed in vacating the interest arbitration award that increased probation officers' work hours from 7.5 to 8 hours per day, with the court finding that work hour modifications implicate the judiciary's inherent constitutional powers and cannot be subject to binding arbitration.
Washington County v. Washington Court Association of Professional Employees (2008)
What Happened
Washington County probation officers sought to keep their work schedule at 7.5 hours per day through binding arbitration. The county wanted to increase work hours to 8 hours daily. An arbitrator sided with the workers and issued a binding award maintaining the shorter workday.
What the Court Decided
The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled in favor of Washington County. The court vacated (canceled) the arbitrator's decision, finding that changes to work hours for court employees involve constitutional powers that belong to the judiciary, not arbitrators. Therefore, binding arbitration could not be used to resolve this dispute.
Why This Matters for Workers
This ruling limits workers' ability to use arbitration to protect their working conditions when employed by courts. It establishes that judges and court officials—not neutral arbitrators—have final authority over employment decisions affecting court staff. Workers in similar positions may have fewer protections when disputing scheduling or workload changes mandated by court systems.
This summary was generated to explain the ruling in plain English and is not legal advice.
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