Washington Business Summer 2019 | Washington Business | Page 23
what’s working
Washington’s hair stylists and
cosmetologists demonstrated the
power of grassroots lobbying in
the 2019 legislative session. Many
were new to state politics before the
Legislature attempted to make big
changes to their industry. Yet their
persistence, organization and media
presence derailed several bills from
becoming law, and set an example
for other industries to follow. These
employers used their voice, and
changed the course of events.
a statewide network
Back in January, news began to
spread throughout the state’s hair
salons. Lawmakers in Olympia
were proposing to change the
state’s laws regarding independent contractors, essentially
eliminating the ability of cosmetologists and hair stylists to
operate independently.
People started asking questions. Customers heard all about it.
Soon people began to connect, from Grant County to Seattle.
“Did you hear what the Legislature is doing to hair stylists?”
— Randy Morlan, founder of Euphorium salon in Olympia.
they asked “Are you going to the hearing on Monday?”
The answer, for hundreds, was yes. When Senate Bill 5326
was introduced on Jan. 28 in the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee, more than a thousand salon owners, hair
stylists and cosmetologists packed the room to testify against it. They lined up down the hall and out the door in the cold
winter morning.
AWB News covered the issue, as did Seattle television stations. Opinion pieces followed in daily newspapers. Opponents
of the proposed legislation told their own story on social media, in newsletters and by talking to customers from Olympia
to the Idaho border.
“There are many versions of the American dream. One of them is to own your own business,” wrote Julee Broberg, a
salon owner from Federal Way, in The News Tribune. “The hairdressing industry provides a path for thousands of people
to fulfill that dream...That dream is under attack.”
“These bills would hurt families. In my 44 years of
experience, I’ve seen it time and time again: When
the flexibility for hours exists, people can flourish,
because they don’t pay for childcare.”
establishing a presence
The bill that sparked the protest was one of several proposals lawmakers introduced this year aimed at independent
contractors. Specifically, the bills sought to place new restrictions on the ability of entrepreneurs in a variety of industries
to work as independent contractors.
Court reporters, real estate agents, doctors, insurance brokers and even freelance writers would have been impacted
by these other, related bills, said Battles, AWB’s government affairs director for employment law.
Although the bills were aimed at multiple industries, the hair stylists were the most organized in their opposition and
received the most attention.
Supporters said the bill was about tax fairness, since some salons treated booth renters like employees, controlling their
work – while not paying taxes. Other salon owners with employees pay the full B&O tax, and compete with independent
contractors that don’t.
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