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The Washington State
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pretty-much-weekly report on the 2006 session
WSLC Legislative Tracker
Tuesday was the deadline for bills to pass from their house of origin. What's alive and what's dead? Find out at the WSLC Legislative Tracker, a table listing many of the bills being tracked by the WSLC. Bookmark it for up-to-the-moment-we-get-to-it updates on the legislation that you want to track. Check it out at www.wslc.org/legis/tracker.htm. UPDATES:
Feb. 14 -- Senate approves SB 6885 restoring two-quarter UI averaging -- The State Senate voted 25-22 to pass UI reform; now it's the House's turn.
Feb. 13 -- Approve SB 6885, a "reasonable compromise" on UI benefits -- It would permanently restore two-quarter averaging, while granting more than a billion dollars in tax savings to Washington businesses, especially small employers.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2006 (PDF version)
Awaiting floor votes
Price tab for health-care cost shifting revealed
A new Senate report this week added ammunition to the fight for passage a Fair Share Health Care bills, SB 6356 and HB 2517. The report revealed that Washington taxpayers are paying tens of millions of dollars a year because of large retail employers' cost-shifting of health benefits onto state programs. Wal-Mart alone is responsible for more than $22.7 million in taxpayer-funded subsidies for employee health coverage."Were asking our peers in the state of Washington to pay a fair share," said Don Barbieri, chairman of Red Lion Hotel Corp., at a Fair Share Coalition press conference Tuesday. "They need to step up."
State lawmakers also need to step up and demand a fair vote on these bills. The WSLC is disappointed with House Speaker Frank Chopp's reluctance so far to call for a vote because we believe the votes are there for it to pass. This bill is good public policy; Washington taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize big, profitable corporations.
Call 1-800-562-6000 and tell your lawmakers to support SB 6356 and HB 2517!
Yesterday was the deadline for bills to pass from policy or fiscal committees in their houses of origin. These bills now have until Valentine's Day on Tuesday, Feb. 14 to pass on floor votes, lest they be dead. Following are bill summaries, prime sponsors (in parentheses), and status reports for some of the legislation affecting working families:
APPRENTICESHIP
SB 6483 (Kohl-Welles) and HB 2789 (Quall) expanding apprenticeship opportunities for high school students. Both passed committees, awaiting floor votes. WSLC supports.
HB 3003 (Conway) extending the apprenticeship utilization requirements to include DOT public works contracts. Passed House 68-30, in Senate committee. WSLC supports.
EDUCATION
SB 6420 (Pridemore) and HB 2583 (Kenney) maintaining health benefits for certain part-time community and technical college faculty. SB 6420 passed policy committee, but died in fiscal committee; HB 2583 passed policy and fiscal committees, awaiting floor vote. WSLC supports.
HB 2595 (Kenney) providing for academic employee salary increments for community and technical college. Passed committees, awaiting floor vote. WSLC supports.
SHJR 4205 (Schual-Berke) amending the State Constitution to provide for a simple majority of voters voting to authorize a school levy. Two-thirds majority required. Passed the House 74-23; in Senate committee. WSLC supports.
ELECTIONS & POLITICS
SB 6236 (Schmidt) moving up the state primary to the third week of August. Passed Senate 37-11, in House committee. WSLC supports.
SB 6643 (Kastama) and HB 2780 (McDermott) authorizing additional payroll deductions for state employees. Passed committees, awaiting floor votes. WSLC supports.
HB 1226 (Schual-Berke) applying campaign contribution limits to judicial races. Passed committees, awaiting floor vote. WSLC supports.
FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE
SB 6185 (Keiser) and HB 2392 (Dickerson) codifying the federal Family and Medical Leave Act into state statute, insuring a continuation of their protections. Both passed policy committee, awaiting floor votes. WSLC supports.
WSLC Legislative Conference
is THURSDAY, FEB. 16All union leaders and rank-and-file members are invited to attend the 2006 WSLC Legislative Conference Thursday, Feb. 16 at the Olympia Red Lion Hotel from 8:30 a.m. through lunch, with registration at 7:30 a.m. As always, the night before, Wednesday, Feb. 15, we'll host a Legislative Reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the hotel. The registration fee, including materials, lunch and one admission to the reception, is $30. Download a registration form or call 206-281-8901. Please register ASAP so we can make plans to accommodate every one.
HEALTH CARE
SB 6356 (Kohl-Welles) and HB 2517 (Cody), the Fair Share Health Care bills, would require businesses with 5,000 or more employees to spend at least 9% of their payrolls on employee health care or pay the difference into the states health care fund. Both passed policy committee, awaiting floor votes. WSLC supports.
SB 3079 (Conway), the Health Care Disclosure Act,
reporting on the employment status of Medicaid and the BHP recipients. Passed committee, awaiting floor vote. WSLC supports.HB 2499 (Schual-Berke) giving the insurance commissioner the authority to review and approve individual health benefit plan rates. Passed committee, awaiting floor vote. WSLC supports.
HB 2572 (Morrell) establishing the Small Employer Health Insurance Partnership Program and adding 10,000 Basic Health Plan slots. Passed committee, awaiting floor vote. WSLC supports.
HOME CARE
HB 2333 (Green) and SB 6145 (Keiser) providing pay equity for home care agency workers. Both passed committees, awaiting floor votes. WSLC supports.
HB 2475 (Conway) requiring collective bargaining regarding hours of work for individual providers. Passed committee, awaiting floor vote. WSLC supports.
LABOR STANDARDS
SB 5551 (Hargrove) studying the effect of the state's minimum wage on the businesses that pay it and the workers who earn it. Passed Senate 43-1, in House committee. The WSLC has concerns
SB 6165 (Hargrove) and HB 2353 (Pettigrew) providing collective bargaining for family child care providers. Both passed committees, awaiting floor votes. WSLC supports.
SB 6214 (Keiser) modifying requirements for security guard training. Passed committee, awaiting floor vote. WSLC supports.
SB 6352 (Kohl-Welles) and HB 2363 (Kenney) protecting agriculture workers hired by labor contractors. Both passed committees, awaiting floor votes. WSLC supports.
SB 6411 (Doumit) allowing local governments to negotiate six-year collective bargaining agreements. Passed committee, awaiting floor vote. WSLC supports.
SB 6434 (Keiser) compensating on-call workers for active duty hours under the state minimum wage act. Passed committee, awaiting floor vote. WSLC supports.
SB 6794 (Haugen) and HB 3178 (Murray) concerning collective bargaining by state ferry employees. Both passed committees, awaiting floor votes. WSLC supports.
HB 3185 (McCoy) creates an administrative remedy for the collection of back wages owed to workers. Passed committee, awaiting floor vote. WSLC supports.
OUTSOURCING DISCLOSURE
HB 3160 (Hudgins) requires that certain state contracts disclose the nature and the percentage of the work to be offshored and where it will be performed. Passed policy committee, died in fiscal committee. WSLC supports.
PREVAILING WAGE
SB 5236 (Kohl-Welles) providing additional funding for L&I prevailing wage enforcement. Passed committee, awaiting floor vote. WSLC supports.
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PENSIONS
SB 6453 (Mulliken) and HB 2687 (Bailey) establishing a $1,000 minimum monthly benefit for certain PERS and TERS Plan 1 members. Both passed committee, awaiting floor votes. WSLC supports.
SB 6454 (Mulliken) providing a uniform cost-of-living adjustment for retirees of the PERS Plan 1 system. Passed committee, awaiting floor vote. WSLC supports.
HB 2684 (Fromhold) allowing vesting after 5 years' service in the defined-benefit portion of PERS, SERS and TRS. Passed committee, awaiting floor vote. WSLC supports.
SAFETY & HEALTH
SB 6263 (Kohl-Welles) and HB 2538 (Conway) authorizes L&I to seek warrants for WISHA inspections. Both passed committees, awaiting a floor votes. WSLC supports.
SB 6595 (Franklin) and HB 1672 (Conway) requiring hospitals to establish safe patient handling committees. Both passed committees, awaiting a floor votes. WSLC supports.
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
SB 6885 (Kohl-Welles) makes permanent the use of two-quarter averaging in the calculation of UI benefits, as recommended by an independent state consultant, and restoring the "liberal construction" language. Passed committee, awaiting floor vote. WSLC supports.
HB 3278 (Conway) is a "title-only bill" awaiting a negotiated agreement between legislators, business and labor on the restoration of two-quarter averaging, as well as some changes the UI tax system. Passed committee, awaiting floor vote. WSLC supports.
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
SB 6262 (Kohl-Welles) and HB 2537 (Conway) establishes a pilot program to allow employers to assist employees in completing applications for industrial insurance. Passed committees, awaiting floor votes. WSLC neutral.
SB 6264 (Kohl-Welles) and HB 2536 (Conway) allowing an injured worker to change total permanent disability pension options under certain conditions. SB 6264 passed Senate 48-0, now in House committee; HB 2536 passed committee, awaiting floor vote. WSLC supports.
WORKPLACE FREEDOM
HB 3068 (Conway), the Freedom from Intimidation Act, restricting mandatory meetings about employers' political, religious, or labor-organization views. Public hearing held, but died in committee. WSLC supports.
HJM 4036 (Conway) urging Congress to approve the Employee Free Choice Act (labor law reform) and to oppose the National Security Personnel System. Passed committee, awaiting floor vote. WSLC supports.
Call the Legislative Hotline and leave messages
for your legislators on these bills! 1-800-562-6000
PREVIOUS EDITIONS of the 2006 WSLC Legislative Update:
Jan. 30 -- 'A new dawn' for civil rights (nondiscrimination; Fair Share; FMLA; and more)
Jan. 24 -- Restore freedom at work! (supporting ECFA; UI benefits; child-care bill; FMLA)
Jan. 20 -- Fair Share deserves a fair vote (Wal-Mart and taxpayer-funded health plans)
Jan. 13 -- Doctor's order: Keep two-quarter (UI benefits; election bills; non-discrimination)
Jan. 6 -- 2006 Working Families Agenda (a summary of WSLC legislative priorities)
Copyright © 2006 Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO