2016 legislative review
HB 2291 allowing for total compensation when calculating the minimum wage rate and providing for youth wages
Failed / AWB Supported
House Bill 2291, sponsored by Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-Union, would have allowed business to include employee benefits when calculating total compensation. It also would have allowed for a youth wage. This bill would have addressed two key concerns raised by AWB that have been ignored by the House Democrats. Those concerns are: that employers have additional cost above labor; and Washington state has a significant teen unemployment issue. The bill would have allowed an employer to count some of the additional costs toward compensation. It further would have addressed the teen unemployment problem. Teens currently are limited on the number of hours they can work and what type of work they are allowed to do. The current law fails to recognize that distinction when it comes to youth compensation. Instead, the current law requires employers to pay the same rate for a 17-year-old with no skills and a limited scope of work as a 21-yearold with three years of experience. Rep. MacEwen’ s bill would have addressed this issue. The bill failed to move in committee.
SB 6087 minimum hourly wage
Failed / AWB Concerns
Senate Bill 6087, sponsored by Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, would have increased the minimum wage to $ 12 over four years. It also included a sick leave / paid-time-off provision providing one hour for every 40 hours worked. SB 6087 included some of AWB’ s principles, but not all. Missing from the bill were any teen or training wage provision. The bill failed to move out of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee.
When dealing with minimum wage discussions, AWB continues to review and evaluate all public policy proposals on minimum wage based upon the following principles:
1. There must be uniformity in the minimum wage;
2. Any increase in the minimum wage should be phased in over time;
3. Any statewide solution should include a teen wage;
4. Any statewide solution should include a training wage;
5. Any increase in the minimum wage should include other types of compensation as part of the calculation of a minimum wage.
It can be expected that minimum wage will be a major topic in the upcoming 2016 elections.
HB 2578 unemployment job search requirements
Failed / AWB Supported
Rep. Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, introduced House Bill 2578, a proposal that would have allowed in-person activities with a career counselor at an accredited institution of higher education to qualify as a job-search activity for unemployment claimants. While this bill would have addressed one problem with the current law, it failed to address a larger issue. That issue is the inability of the state Employment Security Department( ESD) to enforce worker compliance in the first five weeks of a claim. AWB asked that an amendment be added to the bill to require workers to provide proof of job searches to ESD during the first five weeks of being on unemployment. Currently, they can refuse to provide this information. Labor, as well as the prime sponsor, opposed this amendment. The current law creates a situation that allows individuals to game the system. The amendment would have addressed this abuse. The bill passed out of the House 57-40 without the amendment. The bill ultimately failed to move in the Senate.
HB 2484 dairy farm workplaces
Failed / AWB Opposed
House Bill 2484, sponsored by Rep. Brady Walkinshaw, D-Seattle, would have required the Department of Labor and Industries to adopt permanent rules establishing:( 1) Training requirements for dairy farm employees;( 2) A dairy safety emphasis unit within the department; and( 3) Safety and health standards for dairy farms to ensure safe dairy workplaces. It also addressed discrimination, violations, complaints, remedies, and penalties with regard to dairy farms and employees of the farms. AWB opposed this bill, because on its face it was not a safety bill at all. Dairy farm safety is already addressed in the current law. Instead, this bill was an attempt by the prime sponsor and labor to change the wage and hour laws as well as certain penalties / damages for one industry. This bill would have added treble damages and additional penalties against one specific industry. It was an attempt to punish dairy farmers with no hope of improving real safety. The bill failed to move out of the House.
10 association of washington business