issue area reports | employment & workplace any showing that the increase would address their concern . Increasing the damages awarded will only encourage frivolous lawsuits . There is no evidence to show that triple damages decrease wage violations . They failed to show why the current law is insufficient to protect against wage violations . AWB testified opposed to the bill .
SHB 1486 wage liens / wage recovery act
Failed / AWB Opposed
Substitute House Bill 1486 , sponsored by Rep . Mia Gregerson , D-Des Moines , sought to create a statutory wage lien for claims on unpaid wages and create procedures for establishing , foreclosing , extinguishing , and prioritizing wage liens . The bill would have changed longstanding practices around lien rights and would have placed financial institutions in an inferior lien position on disputes that the financial institution had no control over and where the financial institution is not at fault . AWB testified opposed to the bill .
pay equity
Pay equity legislation was considered “ necessary to implement the budget ” ( NTIB ). A bipartisan group of lawmakers , including Rep . Tana Senn , D-Mercer Island ( prime sponsor of House Bill 1506 ), Rep . Vicki Kraft , R-Vancouver ( prime sponsor of House Bill 1447 ),
Tanya Neilsen of Thrive Community Fitness in Maple Valley and AWB Government Affairs Director Bob Battles at the Senate Commerce , Labor and Sports Committee .
Sen . Joe Fain , R-Auburn ( prime sponsor of Senate Bill 5344 ), and Sen . Annette Cleveland , D-Vancouver ( prime sponsor SB 5140 ) met to see if a compromise bill could be found . AWB was part of the discussions . While progress was made in the special sessions a final compromise failed to materialize . This was a missed opportunity to pass meaningful legislation . We expect to see this issue in 2018 .
HB 1506 gender pay equity
Failed / AWB Opposed
AWB worked with all the prime sponsors of the four bills to find common ground . Substantial progress was made as the special sessions progressed .
House Bill 1506 , sponsored by Rep . Tana Senn , D- Mercer Island , was the primary bill used during the negotiations . This was Rep . Senn ’ s previous pay equity bill retooled from the last two years . Unfortunately , it still contained several elements of concern for employers including additional penalties above wage recovery . It also allowed for multiple causes of action by third parties . In addition , it included an opportunity clause that would have limited an employer ’ s ability to control day to day business operations . AWB testified opposed to the bill .
Alternatively , AWB supported House Bill 1447 , sponsored by Rep . Vicki Kraft , R-Vancouver . It addressed wage discrimination due to an employee ’ s gender . It was a more balanced approach to the issue . It would have allowed an
Bill considered as part of AWB ’ s voting record
Favorable outcome for Washington businesses
Missed Opportunities
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