Washington Business 2019 Legislative Review & Vote Record | Page 11

issue area reports | employment & workplace
make annual disclosures on their websites’
home pages about their efforts with respect
to their product supply chains to eradicate
slavery and human trafficking, and to
ensure compliance with the employment
laws. It also allowed for statutory damages
between $500 and $7,000 for violations,
punitive damages for willful violations,
and other relief. This bill was amended to
remove some agricultural products, but
not all products. This bill, if passed, would
have required any store that sold a candy
bar to provide supply chain information to
the source of the sugar used in the product.
It would create a liability for the end seller
without any ability to control the supply
chain. It would also require the posting of
potential citation prior to them being final.
AWB was opposed to this bill.
SB 5985
marijuana business
licensees
Failed/AWB Opposed
Senate Bill 5985, sponsored Sen. Rebecca
Saldaña, D-Seattle, would have modified
several aspects of the marijuana business
license. This bill would have created an
exception to the six-month residency
requirement for businesses with labor peace
agreements in effect, so long as 60% of the
interest holders meet the requirements.
It also would have modified the limits on
the number of marijuana licenses that may
be held by businesses with labor peace
agreements and modifies the licensing
provisions regarding who is required to
qualify for or be named on a license, be a
Washington state resident, and be disclosed
to the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB).
It added provisions addressing inheritance
of a business with a marijuana license and
attempted to modify the provisions for
outdoor advertising for licensed marijuana
retail outlets including: banning billboards,
allowing reader boards, removing the
Bill considered as part of
AWB’s voting record
AWB’s Bob Battles talks with cosmetologists outside legislative hearing chambers in February.
limit on size of signs, and allowing local
governments to adopt less restrictive
advertising rules. Finally, it would have
required marijuana licensees to submit
certain demographic information to the
LCB and requires a report to the Legislature.
AWB’s main concerns with this bill is that
it only provides incentives to businesses
if they agree to labor peace agreements.
This provision is likely preempted by the
National Labor Relation Act. (NLRA).
AWB has traditionally opposed legislation
when it restricts access to some businesses
because of labor agreements. Because of the
Labor Peace Agreement provisions AWB
was opposed to this bill.
ESSB 5295
labor neutrality and
contractor compliance
Failed/AWB Opposed
Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5295,
sponsored by Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent,
Favorable outcome for
Washington businesses
would have required certain Department
of Social and Health Services contractors
to: (1) certify compliance with federal,
state, and local law; and (2) commit to
ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of
services. Bidders to the contracts would
also be required to disclose past violations
of the NLRA. The assurance regarding
uninterrupted delivery of services may be
made several ways, including an agreement
that the contractor will remain neutral in its
policies, practices, and activities regarding
employees performing services under
the contract, if those employees seek to
exercise rights under the NLRA; inclusion
of no-strike, no-lockout, or arbitration
clauses in a collective bargaining
agreement covering the employees; a
commitment not to strike or engage in
workplace or service disruptions on the
part of the employees’ representative;
or any other equivalent assurances of
continuity of services. The contract may
Missed Opportunities
special edition 2019
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