Bills to strengthen workers’ rights introduced in Washington State Legislature
Lawmakers in the Senate Labor, Commerce & Tribal Affairs Committee recognized Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday by hearing several bills that are intended to support Washington workers.
Senate Bill 5835 relates to worker’s compensation benefits and is sponsored by Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, D-Seattle.
Currently, unmarried workers who file workers’ compensation claims make on average 5 percent less than their married counterparts, regardless of how many children the worker has. Additionally, married workers who file temporary or permanent claims get an extra $10 per month while receiving monthly payments, something unmarried workers are not entitled to.
In response, Saldaña introduced the Senate bill to align the rates, regardless of marital status. The bill also would make single workers eligible for the additional $10 a month.
Saldaña said she became aware of the issue last year. She said the idea that single parents who may end up with a permanent disability may be paid less than married individuals seemed “confusing” to her.
“As we know, as a single parent you don’t have that support,” she said during testimony. “It struck me as antiquated language for something in the books.”
Many testified in favor of the bill, including the Washington State Labor Council. Concerns were raised from the Washington Self-Insurers Association and others about the potential cost increase, although they did support aligning unmarried workers rates with married workers.
If adopted, the legislation would go into effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns.
Sen. Emily Randall, D-Bremerton, introduced two other bills during the committee hearing on Monday.
Senate Bill 5761 would build on Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunity Act and relates to job transparency.
The legislation would require employers to include salaries or salary ranges in job postings, as well as information about job benefits. If the bill goes into effect, prospective employees wouldn’t have to wait until initial rounds of interviews to know their potential salary.
Randall acknowledged that the Legislature already has taken “great strides” to pass pay disclosure laws.
“This bill is a continuation of our work as leaders in pay equity,” she said. Randall noted how similar policies have been passed in other states and municipalities.
Two people testified in support, although Kara Aley, a Gig Harbor resident, cautioned legislators about the additional work hours involved in adding transparency to job postings.
Wu Le, a former executive director for a non-profit, testified that lack of pay transparency in job postings is one of the most “annoying” aspects of the work sector. He also said it is an equity issue, particularly for women and people of color.
But several groups are opposing the bill.
Bruce Beckett from the Washington Retail Association said the bill could potentially violate proprietary or confidential information about salaries, and could skew “how competitors in an industry behave” which could harm smaller businesses. He cautioned against “unintended consequences.”
Randall’s other proposed legislation, Senate Bill 5763, is more of a “clean-up bill” for laws passed previously, she said.
Washington lawmakers with bipartisan support abolished the practice of paying workers with disabilities less than minimum wage last year, so the new legislation would simply clean-up outdated language that could be confusing. Randall said it is rooted in the state’s values of treating Washingtonians fairly.
“This outdated carve-out to prevailing wage statute, though unused in recent years, remains on the books and statutorily authorizes a continued undervaluing of people with disabilities,” she said.
Both of Randall’s bills would go into effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns on March 10.
