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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (March 18, 2011)
NWLP-03-18-11:NWLP 3/15/11 10:16 AM Page 4 In Washington Legislature Bills banning collective bargaining are buried OLYMPIA — If working people have a voice in the Washington Legis- lature, it’s in no small part through the Washington State Labor Council, AFL- CIO. WSLC coordinates labor union lobbying efforts in Olympia, and tracks dozens of bills that could help or harm union members and working people. So far this year, WSLC has had some successes pushing bills toward passage, and has helped kill a number of objectionable bills, but also has seen a number of proposals that it backed die for lack of support. Bills were de- clared “dead” if they failed to pass at least one committee by Feb. 25, or to pass in either the House or the Senate by March 7. However, WSLC publica- tions director David Groves cautions that every “death” is relative in Olympia, since bills necessary to im- plement the budget can be passed until the final day. Democrats in Washington control the governor’s office, the state House 55 to 43, and the state Senate 27 to 22. PAGE 4 One top priority for WSLC is de- fending the state’s workers’ compensa- tion system — yet again — from “re- forms” that would deprive injured workers of benefits. Four months after voters rejected a ballot measure that would have privatized the state’s pub- licly-run workers’ compensation sys- tem, WSLC is contending with Senate Bill 5566, which would allow employ- ers to settle workers’ compensation claims with lump-sum buyouts of in- jured workers. The buyouts would amount to benefit cuts, WSLC says, be- cause disabled workers — desperate for having lost their income — would settle for less in the short-term than they’d be entitled to in the long term. The bill passed the Senate March 5 by 34-15 (with the support of all state sen- ators representing Southwest Washing- ton) and now is in the House. House Bill 2002, on the other hand, would allow the workers’ comp system to provide wage subsidies for light duty or transitional work, to help injured workers return to work. WSLC sup- ports it. It passed the House 54-43 and now is in the Senate Labor Committee. Several other WSLC-backed bills are still in the running: • House Bill 1832 would give em- ployees of airport service contractors — such as cafeteria workers — some security: If their employer loses a con- tract, workers are assumed to continue their jobs at the same wages and bene- fits with the new contractor. It passed the House 52-44, and now awaits ac- tion by Senate Labor, Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee. • House Bill 1701 and Senate Bill 5599 would increase penalties on con- struction contractors that misclassify employees as “independent contrac- tors.” WSLC and the Washington State Building Trades Council have cam- paigned in previous legislative sessions against this abuse, in which unscrupu- lous employees undercut competitors by shirking their responsibility to pay unemployment and workers’ compen- sation insurance. The bill passed the House 54 to 43, and is now in the Sen- ate Labor committee. But several proposals deemed wor- thy by the WSLC died when they failed to move by the Legislature’s deadlines: • House Bill 1320, sponsored by Seattle State Rep. (and Teamsters NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS leader) Bob Hasegawa, would have created a state bank, along the lines of a similar proposal in Oregon, to invest state government bank accounts in Washington businesses instead of plac- ing those deposits in big out-of-state banks. • House Bill 1889, also by Hase- gawa, would have required the state budget to itemize the estimated impact of tax breaks. WSLC publishes daily updates on the bills it’s tracking at www.wslc.org/ legis/tracker11.htm. The Legislature’s 2011 session began Jan. 10. It’s sched- uled to end April 24, but could go into overtime. WSLC also helped bury bills that would have harmed workers’ interests: • Several bills would have restricted collective bargaining rights for Wash- ington State Ferries workers, cut their wages and benefits, and privatized parts of the system. • Other bills would have banned state employee collective bargaining; made Washington a so-called “right-to- work” state by banning contracts from having union-security clauses; or banned public employee unions from bargaining over the contracting out of state services. • House Bill 1824 would have taken away the right of armored car employ- ees to have rest and meal breaks. (International Standard Serial Number 0894-444X) Established in 1900 at Portland, Oregon as a voice of the labor movement. 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Ore. 97213 Telephone: (503) 288-3311 Editor: Michael Gutwig Staff: Don McIntosh, Cheri Rice Published on a semi-monthly basis on the first and third Fridays of each month by the Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. Inc., a non- profit corporation owned by 20 unions and councils including the Oregon AFL-CIO. Serving more than 120 union organizations in Ore- gon and SW Washington. Subscriptions $13.75 per year for union members. Group rates available to trade union organizations. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT PORTLAND, OREGON. CHANGE OF ADDRESS NOTICE: Three weeks are required for a change of address. When ordering a change, please give your old and new addresses and the name and number of your local union. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS, P.O. BOX 13150, PORTLAND, OR 97213-0150 MARCH 18, 2011
