STATE GOVERNMENT
Senate votes to ‘Keep Washington Working’
Also: Rest breaks for health care workers passes House, bill status reports as Wednesday cutoff approaches
OLYMPIA (March 11, 2019) — With the Trump administration’s escalation of reprehensible federal policies on the arrest and detention of immigrants, every week there’s a new heartbreaking story about the targeting of immigrant families. Federal agents have targeted children in schools, families at healthcare facilities and courthouses, and in other public spaces, spreading fear throughout Washington communities and effectively taking away immigrant families’ access to important family services.
Nearly one million Washingtonians – one in every seven people in this state – are immigrants, and they are an integral part of our communities and workforce. When they are targeted and don’t feel safe in their community, this not only takes away basic human rights and dignity, it destabilizes the workforce of many of Washington state’s most critical industries, particularly our multi-billion dollar agriculture sector.
During committee testimony for SB 5497, immigrant workers told disturbing stories about their experiences. One saw an unknown man jumping over the fence into his yard at night and called the police. But when the police came, he was arrested for immigration offenses, taken to detention, and separated from his family for four months before being released. He said he has lost his faith in the police and no longer feels safe when he sees a police car driving through his neighborhood.
“Keep Washington Working is an important priority for the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO,” said WSLC President Larry Brown. “When members of our community have the reality or perception that their private information will be shared with federal agents when they go to school, seek medical care, go to a courthouse, or call the police or fire department, it affects us all — and we are all less safe. It also harms Washington’s economy and competitiveness by destabilizing its workforce.”
SB 5497 is now in the House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee. The WSLC strongly urges the passage of this critically important legislation from committee and the full House.
SB 5438 passed the Senate, 26-21, and is now before the House Labor & Workplace Standards Committee. The WSLC urges its passage.
Patient safety legislation passes House
Unions representing health care workers and hospital staff have been working for a decade on legislation that would ensure frontline health care workers receive uninterrupted breaks, and close a dangerous loophole in the mandatory overtime law. Last week, that effort took a strong step forward with a bipartisan 63-34 vote in the House to pass HB 1155, sponsored by Rep. Marcus Riccelli (D-Spokane). It provides for uninterrupted meal and rest breaks, and prohibits the use of prescheduled on-call time to fill foreseeable staff shortages.
“When health care workers experience fatigue and burnout, patient safety is put at risk. That’s something you shouldn’t have to worry about when you or your loved is admitted to a hospital,” Riccelli said.
HB 1155 now heads to the Senate, where similar House-approved legislation died last year without a vote amid opposition from hospitals and their lobbying groups. The WSLC strongly urges the Senate to pass this important patient safety and worker fairness measure.
Important bills need votes before Wednesday’s cutoff
This Wednesday, March 13 is the deadline for bills to pass from their houses of origin. Here’s an update on some of the WSLC-supported bills that have recently passed, and some that still need floor votes before that cutoff:
RECENTLY PASSED
ALLOWING AAGs TO JOIN TOGETHER — SB 5297, sponsored by Sen. Sam Hunt (D-Olympia), would extend collective bargaining rights to assistant attorneys general. Read more about it. — SB 5297 passed the Senate 27-18 and is now in House Labor & Workforce Standards.
HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL (HEAL) ACT — SB 5489, sponsored by Sen. Rebecca Saldaña (D-Seattle), creating a definition of environmental justice, directing agencies to address environmental health disparities, and creating a task force to recommend strategies for state agencies to incorporate environmental justice principles into their responsibilities. — It passed the Senate, 27-21, and is now in House State Government & Tribal Relations.
LONG-TERM CARE TRUST ACT — HB 1087, sponsored by Rep. Laurie Jinkins (D-Tacoma), would establish a Long-Term Care Trust to reduce the biggest uninsured risk Washingtonians now face. It will help protect future taxpayers from the cost of long-term care, both to their families and to the state budget. Most of all, it would give families the security of knowing they will get the care they need when they need it most without the added stress of how to pay for it. Read more about it. — HB 1087 passed the House, 63-33 and it is scheduled for a public hearing in Senate Health & Long-Term Care this Friday at 8 a.m.
PLAN 2 DEFAULT — SB 5360 / HB 1308, sponsored by Sen. Steve Conway (D-Tacoma) and Rep. Derek Stanford (D-Bothell), would change the default retirement plan for public workers from Plan 3 to Plan 2, if they fail to choose a plan within 90 days, to ensure more retirees are protected by defined-benefit pensions. — On Friday, SB 5360 passed the Senate, 39-9, and on Saturday HB 1308 passed the House, 74-22.
REGULATE NON-COMPETITION CONTRACTS — SB 5478, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D-Lynnwood), would regulate non-competition agreements in Washington state to ensure they aren’t being used to exploit workers and deny them the opportunities to find better jobs. Read more about it. — It was amended and passed the Senate 30-18.
STILL NEED FLOOR VOTES
CLEAN BUILDINGS FOR WASHINGTON ACT — SB 5293 / HB 1257, sponsored by Sen. Carlyle and Rep. Beth Doglio (D-Olympia), which aims to increase energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gases, and create jobs by making buildings healthier places to live and work. — SB 5293 has passed Senate Environment, Energy & Technology and Ways & Means, and is now in Rules. HB 1257 didn’t make it out of Appropriations before Friday’s cutoff.
INTEREST ARBITRATION FOR CORRECTIONS OFFICERS — HB 1042, sponsored by Rep. Brian Blake (D-Aberdeen), would provide interest arbitration for employees at the Department of Corrections. Read more about it. — It is in Rules.
INTEREST ARBITRATION FOR CAMPUS POLICE — HB 1043, sponsored by Rep. Roger Goodman (D-Kirkland), would provide interest arbitration for police officers at four-year colleges and universities. Read more about it. — It is in Rules.
INTEREST ARBITRATION FOR D.F.W. SERGEANTS — HB 2037, sponsored by Rep. Mike Sells (D-Everett), would provide interest arbitration under certain circumstances for sergeants at the state Department of Fish & Wildlife. — It is in Rules.
SIMPLE MAJORITY SCHOOL BONDS— SJR 8201, sponsored by Rep. Lisa Wellman (D-Mercer Is.) at the request of Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, would allow Washington voters to decide this fall whether to change the constitution’s unreasonable 60 percent supermajority hurdle required to approve school bonds. This has doomed many critical public school projects to failure, despite support from a majority of voters, and contributes to overflowing classrooms and unsafe crumbling schools. — It passed Early Learning & K-12 Education and Ways & Means, and is still in Rules.
TAXPAYER PROTECTION ACT — HB 1521, sponsored by Rep. Laurie Dolan (D-Olympia), would ensure taxpayers are getting the best return on the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on for-profit contractors and private groups that provide public services. It would adopt performance metrics and accountability measures for all contracts. Read more about it. — It is in Rules.
TRANSPARENCY IN AGRICULTURAL SUPPLY CHAINS ACT — SB 5693, sponsored by Sen. Rebecca Saldaña (D-Seattle), would provide transparency and corporate accountability for any labor abuses within the agricultural supply chain. Read more about it. — It passed Senate Labor & Commerce and is still in Rules.
WORKER PROTECTION ACT — HB 1965, sponsored by Rep. Drew Hansen (D-Bainbridge Is.), allows whistleblowers to sue on behalf of the state to enforce labor laws. — It passed the House Labor & Workforce Standards and Appropriations, and is on the 2nd reading calendar.