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CapitalPress.com
January 16, 2015
Washington
Senate Majority Leader puts Sakuma attorney:
Piece-rate pay
down cap-and-trade plan
Washington
governor says he
expected ‘heavy
skepticism’
By DON JENKINS
Capital Press
OLYMPIA — Senate Ma-
jority Leader Mark Schoesler
opposes Gov. Jay Inslee’s pro-
posal to cut carbon emissions by
taxing greenhouse gases.
“I think there are really strong
concerns about the impact on
jobs around the state,” Schoesler
said Jan. 8 at a forum hosted by
The Associated Press at which
legislative leaders and Inslee pre-
viewed the 2015 session.
Inslee has proposed capping
the amount of greenhouse gases
some 130 businesses, including
food processors and one fertiliz-
er manufacturer, can release. To
Courtesy photo
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s
plan for a carbon tax is running
into opposition in the Legislature.
emit any carbon at all, business-
es on the list would have to bid
for credits at auctions. The gov-
ernor’s office estimates the auc-
tions would raise approximately
$1 billion a year.
Inslee says his policy, driv-
en by concern about climate
change, would raise badly need-
ed money for transportation
projects and education.
Schoesler, a Ritzville Repub-
lican, said the state shouldn’t rely
on taxing carbon to permanently
increase education spending.
“The goal is to reduce carbon
output, so if we’re successful,
we’re choking off our source of
funding,” he said.
Schoesler’s opposition sig-
naled that Inslee’s proposal will
have a tough time winning ap-
proval this year in the GOP-con-
trolled Senate.
Speaking later at the same
forum, Inslee said he had antici-
pated his cap-and-trade proposal
would face “heavy skepticism.”
Carbon markets have
worked elsewhere, but it will
take time to win over skeptics
here, he said. “This is the nature
of progress in a democracy.”
Inslee said it makes sense for
“polluters” to pay for education
and transportation, two pressing
topics for lawmakers.
Democratic leaders said they
would seriously consider Ins-
lee’s proposal, but stopped short
of endorsing it.
“There’s strong public sup-
port across the state for dealing
with that issue, climate change,”
said House Speaker Frank
Chopp, D-Seattle. “We can’t ig-
nore it. We have to deal with it.”
Business and labor organiza-
tions, including the Washington
Farm Bureau and Northwest
Food Processors Association,
have formed a group, the Wash-
ington Climate Collaborative, to
oppose Inslee’s proposal, which
is modeled after California’s
cap-and-trade program.
The 105-day session con-
vened Jan. 12, and lawmakers are
being pushed to increase K-12
education spending. The state
Supreme Court has ruled law-
makers have failed to adequately
fund education, and voters in No-
vember passed an initiative man-
dating smaller class sizes.
Lawmakers also will be
pressed to increase spending on
mental health and transportation.
Besides taxing carbon, Inslee
has proposed several other tax
increases, including a 7 percent
tax on capital gains over $25,000
for individuals and $50,000 for
couples. Retirement accounts
and the sale of farms and homes
would be exempt from the tax.
rewards pickers
Supreme Court
to hear oral
arguments March 17
By DON JENKINS
Capital Press
Washington growers’ prac-
tice of not separately paying
piece-rate pickers for rest
breaks rewards good workers,
according to a brief filed with
the state Supreme Court by Sa-
kuma Brothers Farms.
“Farmworkers return to Sa-
kuma year after year because of
high piece-rate wages that can
far exceed minimum wages,”
the company’s attorney, Adam
Belzberg, states in written argu-
ments submitted Jan. 9.
The Burlington, Wash., berry
farm is being sued by piece-rate
pickers seeking additional com-
pensation for 10-minute rest
breaks, which workers are al-
lowed to take every four hours.
The workers argue that the
current practice, standard in
Washington agriculture, unfair-
ly excludes piece-rate pickers
from a benefit guaranteed other
employees.
The high court agreed to
consider the workers’ claim
and will hold oral arguments in
March.
The challenge to established
practice emerged from a fed-
eral class-action lawsuit by
Sakuma workers who alleged
their pay was not properly cal-
culated. The company denied
any wrongdoing, but agreed to
a $500,000 settlement, which
was eventually shared by 408
workers.
The settlement didn’t re-
solve whether piece-rate work-
ers are eligible for additional
pay for the time they spend on
break. A federal judge referred
the question to the state court.
Sakuma’s case relies heav-
ily on a 1990 administrative
rule written by the state De-
partment of Labor and Indus-
tries, with the advice of farmers
and labor representatives. The
department considered addi-
tional break pay for piece-rate
workers, but decided against it,
according to a documents sub-
mitted to the court.
Belzberg said in an inter-
view that the rule clearly never
intended for piece-rate workers
to receive additional pay.
In written arguments, Bel-
zberg stated that changing the
rule would interfere with the
historical right of workers to
engage in piece-rate agree-
ments with employers.
Farmer and Odessa
Public Development Au-
thority President Clark
Kagele stands outside
the biodiesel facility in
February 2013 in Odes-
sa, Wash. The public
development authority
is again looking for an
experienced biodiesel
producer to take over
operations at the facility.
Matthew Weaver/
Capital Press
Biodiesel plant owner looks
for experienced operators
Proposals due Jan. 30
By MATTHEW WEAVER
Capital Press
The public development
authority in Odessa, Wash., is
still looking for a new opera-
tor for its biodiesel production
facility.
Proposals are due to the
Odessa Public Development
Authority before 5 p.m. Jan.
30. The agency is looking for
an experienced biodiesel pro-
ducer to resume production at
the facility.
According to the OPDA
request for proposals, the de-
cision will be based on several
factors, including experience,
financial resources and plans
for the facility.
“We have received a lot
of inquiry; however, the last
request for proposals did not
produce a qualified tenant,”
said Stacey Rasmussen, man-
ager for OPDA.
TransMessis
Columbia
Plateau LLC stopped produc-
tion last fall at the facility due
to poor market conditions.
The authority owns the
building, land and equipment.
The OPDA borrowed $4.2
million from the state under
the Energy Freedom program
to build the facility. The out-
standing balance due to the
Washington State Department
of Agriculture is roughly $3.5
million, Rasmussen said.
Contact info@odessapda.
com for more information.
Washington chooses Idaho
official to lead wildlife agency
New hire spent
more than 30
years with Idaho
department
ROP-2-3-5/#8
The Washington Fish and
Wildlife Commission on Sat-
urday picked Jim Unsworth,
deputy director of the Ida-
ho Department of Fish and
Game, to head the Washing-
ton Department of Fish and
Wildlife.
Unsworth, 57, will re-
place Phil Anderson, who an-
nounced in August he would
leave the post.
The commission inter-
viewed eight candidates in
December and announced its
decision at a meeting in Tum-
water.
“After a thorough nation-
wide search, we’re confident
Jim is the right person to
guide the department through
the many challenges that lie
ahead,” the commission’s
chairwoman, Miranda Weck-
er, said in a written state-
Courtesy photo
Jim Unsworth, deputy director
of the Idaho Department of Fish
and Game, has been picked to
direct the Washington Depart-
ment of Fish and Wildlife.
ment. “His solid understand-
ing of natural resource issues
and strong leadership skills
will be invaluable in the de-
partment’s effort to manage
and protect the fish and wild-
life resources that are so im-
portant to the people of this
state.”
As director, Unsworth will
report to the commission and
manage a department with
more than 1,600 employees
and a biennial operating bud-
get of $376 million. His annu-
al salary will be $146,500.
Unsworth has spent more
than 30 years in wildlife man-
agement with the Idaho De-
partment of Fish and Game
and has served as deputy di-
rector for the agency since
2008. He previously held
several management positions
for the department, including
wildlife bureau chief and state
big game manager.
Unsworth holds a bache-
lor’s degree in wildlife man-
agement from the University
of Idaho, a master’s degree in
fish and wildlife management
from Montana State Universi-
ty and a doctorate in forestry,
wildlife and range sciences
from the University of Idaho.
“I’m thrilled at this op-
portunity,” Unsworth said in
a written statement. “I look
forward to taking on the many
exciting challenges that come
with managing fish and wild-
life in the state of Washing-
ton.”
Unsworth and his wife,
Michele, have four adult chil-
dren. He is an avid hunter and
angler.