Organized labor burgeons in Legislature with collective bargaining success for legislative staff

Amid statewide demands for improved working conditions — Washington’s gig economy pushes for wage standards, tradespeople strike for better health care benefits, and baristas organize for labor protections — the Legislature itself demands collective bargaining rights for its staff.

Last week, House Bill 2124 cleared one chamber and is poised for a vote in the other. Traditionally, staffers are exempt from collective bargaining rights afforded to state employees. This legislation corrects that, extending collective bargaining permissions to Legislative staffers.

“It’s a benefit to all when people come together with a collective voice to support fair working conditions and fair wages,” Rep. Marcus Riccelli, the bill’s primary sponsor, told MyNorthwest. “And we’ve, for a long time, moved legislation forward outside of this place. We have to look inward, to make sure we’re adhering to our values. And today, what’s going on in the Senate, I hope they’re putting that mirror up to themselves and recognizing this as a good step forward to grant rights to people who have been left out.”

Earlier this month, a precursor bill (HB 1806) had apparently been discarded, failing to reach a floor vote before certain cut-off dates. Legislative staff is prohibited by law to lobby for particular legislation. Subsequently, at least 50 House aides and communication staff staged a sickout as protest, with Rep. Laurie Jinkins confirming that figure, and Sen. Rebecca Saldaña noting that at least 34 staffers in the Senate also called out sick.

At least 50 Washington legislative staffers stage sickout over collective bargaining push

“This whole place runs on the work of our staff, and it’s not just on behalf of the legislators that work here. It’s on behalf of the people in Washington,” Rep. Riccelli continued. “They have limited ways to draw attention to this issue. I support this move.”

HB 2124 is similar to HB 1806 in that they both extend collective bargaining rights to the employees in question. HB 2124 offers more precise timelines for when those bargaining rights would be granted: Negotiations can begin no earlier than May 2024, and agreements are not to be reached before July 2025. It also creates the Office of State Legislative Labor Relations (OSLA) to study the employer-employee relationship, presumably providing the terms of the bargaining agreement itself.

“Any time folks stand up for their rights, I am supportive,” Rep. Riccelli added. “I think that it was a mistake that we didn’t move the bill out initially. I think we course-corrected, and I’m glad. We’re moving in the right direction.”

HB 2124 was able to reach a vote by leveraging a loophole that allows bills to exceed Legislative deadlines if they contain an appropriations, or budget, component. Because the bill creates a new office, it meets that requirement, and, therefore, was introduced several weeks after the cutoff date that killed HB 1806.

The bill reached a committee hearing Monday. March 10 is the cutoff date for this session.

Follow @http://www.twitter.com/daltonjday