Dear friends and neighbors,
With the end of week 7 of legislative session, the hard work continues! I have drafted and submitted seven bills and introduced numerous budget requests that benefit our community, our state, and working families. In this issue I’ll provide an update on some of my bills and the meaningful work my colleagues and I are doing. Lastly, I encourage you to be involved in our democratic process this year. Please consider clicking here or on the image below to view my video on staying engaged this session. I hope you will find it useful!
Empowering Working Families & Making Our Laws Inclusive
The last few years have exacerbated workforce shortages and has helped put an emphasis on the value workers bring to an employment relationship. To create a resilient and stronger economy, workers must feel empowered, supported, and able to provide for their families. Recent years have also made clear the importance of flexibility, work-life balance, and the critical need for safety nets to help keep families in their homes. Here are a few pieces of legislation I am working on to support working families and modernize the legal framework our state uses:
House Bill 1107 removes the terms “master” and “servant” from unemployment insurance and state paid family and medical leave law where they are currently used to define the employer and employee relationship. These racist and antiquated terms undermine the both the value of people of color and the value of workers in our economy. The worth of both employees and employers goes beyond these antiquated terms. This bill would replace these terms with “any employment relationship” to create a more inclusive and consistent definition in law. I am proud to share that this was my first bill to pass the House, and with a unanimous vote! It now heads to the Senate.
House Bill 1291 would give collective bargaining rights to Academic Student Employees, who provide instructional, research, and related academic services at Washington’s regional universities. These employees ensure that operations on these campuses run smoothly and are critical to the infrastructure of our public universities. A key pillar of empowering workers is expanding the right to bargain for their worth and working conditions. These students and workers are asking for parity in the law because at both Washington State University and the University of WA, academic student employees already have these rights. This bill passed the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards unanimously on February 3rd.
House Bill 1307 would provide interest arbitration for the hardworking resident and fellow physicians of medical schools. Resident and fellow physicians employed by the University of Washington are some of the lowest paid residents/fellows in the U.S. based on cost of living, despite attending one of the best funded institutions in the region. Interest arbitration in collective bargaining would improve salary, benefits, and protections for staff by providing for fairer contract negotiations and having third party arbitrators involved when the employer and union reach an impasse. On February 3rd, this bill passed committee unanimously and is now in the House Appropriations Committee.
Childcare remains a huge issue for our working families and labor force. Two of the bills I have introduced that support working families who face childcare and caregiving barriers are included in the Moms Caucus 2023 Legislative Priorities:
House Bill 1106 would extend UI eligibility for workers that have to leave employment because of the death, illness, or disability of any family member, or when workers are unable to reconcile care obligations for a child or vulnerable adult (think single mom forced to switch from day to graveyard shift and cannot due to childcare needs). This reduces unnecessary barriers for workers who have been left out of the system and helps many of the employees in Washington also tasked with caregiving and other responsibilities. HB 1106 passed the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards on January 24th!
House Bill 1525 addresses the lack of affordable childcare faced by those in apprenticeship programs. Childcare issues are a huge barrier to recruiting and retainment in apprenticeship programs and can create economic instability as families stretch themselves to meet all care obligations. This bill would help diversify our building and construction trades and allow a trained family member to care for an apprentice’s child and gain an income, or for a child to receive licensed care. Bridging this affordability gap will be especially impactful for women who have traditionally been excluded because of childcare obligations.
When we support worker protections, inclusive and equitable policies, and enable workers to succeed, we create a strong foundation upon which all can share in Washington’s prosperity. For a list of all the legislation I am supporting this session, click here!
A new tax credit for Washington workers starts in 2023!
Have you applied for the Working Families Tax Credit yet? The Working Families Tax Credit is a new program that will provide payments of up to $1,200 to low-to-moderate income individuals and families. The amounts are based on income level and the number of qualifying children. Help us spread the word and make sure everyone who qualifies can receive this tax credit.
This program will help us stimulate local economies, promote racial equity, and provide the financial stability Washington families need right now. To find more information in several available languages, visit WorkingFamiliesCredit.wa.gov.
Share Your Thoughts with Me
Over the last couple weeks, I have met with college students to discuss food and housing insecurity, service employees to discuss how to support working families, and behavioral health care providers to address a lack of access to mental health and childcare services in our community. I have also heard from local leaders on their continued focus on economic development for the region, and a multitude of activist and advocacy groups sharing their priorities on justice, the environment, workforce issues, worker protections, and thoughts on legislation this session. Below is a photo with Reverend Carol Jensen who came to visit and gave the opening invocation on the house floor.
Hearing from members of our community about the work they are doing is both energizing and grounding. A core part of this job is making sure that all of our neighbors in our community can connect with their state government and help us understand how to better solve real problems.
If you come down to Olympia, please schedule a time for us to meet so you can share your priorities with me. I am also happy to meet remotely if you are not quite comfortable in a public setting or simply don’t have time to make it to Olympia. If you have comments, questions, or ideas, please contact my office. I hope to hear from you soon!
In solidarity,
State Representative Mary Fosse
38th Legislative District