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. summer 2019 23