Employment and Benefits 2019 Session Paper

The legislature can help Washington businesses create jobs and help our economy get back on track by doing the following:

• Preempt municipalities around Washington from enacting individual minimum wage laws or other employment laws that will require employers to administer different human resource policies within the state and/or have a negative impact on the state’s job creation.
• Maintain existing minimum wage laws tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W)
• Act boldly in addressing minimum wage laws on a statewide basis to ensure that business development, job creation, and entrepreneurship are not negatively affected.
• Maintain the right of employers to discuss work-related issues with employees; resist all efforts to eliminate or restrict employee choice and privacy with respect to secret ballot union elections; and do not impose state-level collective bargaining obligations on State employers or those employers who receive payments from the State.
• Repeal The Family Leave Insurance Act of 2007 as an unfunded, unworkable mandate.
• Pass legislation that is sustainable and funds pension obligations for State employees.
• Privatize Worker’s Compensation insurance to move the system towards greater choice and competition, thereby reducing costs.
• Do not expand Unemployment Insurance benefits and do not transfer UI funds to unrelated State programs. Freeze voluntary quits.
• Fund retraining programs for long-term unemployed.