Washington Business 2019 Legislative Review & Vote Record | Page 7

issue area reports | employment & workplace
Senate President Pro Tempore Karen Keiser, D-Kent, right, chair of the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee, and Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima,
the committee’s ranking member, chat with employers during the 2019 AWB Legislative Day and Hill Climb.
(1) Upon request of an applicant for
employment after the employer has
initially offered the applicant the
position, the employer must provide
the minimum wage or salary for the
position for which the applicant is
applying.
(2) Upon request of an employee offered
an internal transfer to a new position
or promotion, the employer must
provide the wage scale or salary range
for the employee’s new position.
(3) If no wage scale or salary range
exists, the employer must provide the
minimum wage or salary expectation
set by the employer prior to posting
the position, making a position
transfer, or making the promotion.
(4) This section only applies to employers
with fifteen or more employees.
(5) An individual is entitled to the
re m e d i e s i n R C W 49. 5 8.0 6 0 a n d
49.58.070 for violations of this section.
Bill considered as part of
AWB’s voting record
Recovery of any wages and interest
must be calculated from the first date
wages were owed to the employee.
AWB opposed this bill in the House.
After amendments to the wage range
requirement, AWB became neutral.
The companion bill was Senate Bill
5090, sponsored by Sen. Lisa Wellman,
D-Mercer Island.
SB 5233
alternative process for
sick leave
Passed/AWB Neutral
Senate Bill 5233, sponsored by Sen.
K a r e n Ke i s e r, D - Ke n t , c r e a t e s a n
alternative process for sick leave benefits
for workers represented by collective
bargaining agreements. This would allow
for the modification of sick leave policies
for those employees with a collective
bargaining agreement.
Favorable outcome for
Washington businesses
2SHB 1514
wage liens/wage recovery
act
Failed/AWB Opposed
Second Substitute House Bill 1514,
sponsored by Rep. Mia Gregerson, D-Des
Moines, was reintroduced in the 2019
session. It sought to create a statutory
wage lien for claims on unpaid wages
and created procedures for establishing,
foreclosing, extinguishing, and prioritizing
wage liens. The bill would have changed
long-standing practices around lien rights
and would have placed a wage lien in a
superior position over financial institution
liens. The financial institution would
be placed in an inferior lien position on
disputes that the financial institution had
no control over and where the financial
institution is not at fault. This legislation
was similar to bills introduced in the 2018
session. AWB opposed the bill.
Missed Opportunities
special edition 2019
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