The end of March saw a number of new gains for workers in the state of Washington, as Governor Jay Inslee signed a slate of pro-labor bills into law. Most significantly he signed SB 5778, a law banning captive meetings that makes Washington the 6th state to ban the anti-union practice.
But Inslee also signed a number of other bills, including:
HB 1905, sponsored by Rep. Sharlett Mena, [which] expands existing pay equity protections to all protected classes under Washington’s anti-discrimination laws.
HB 2061, sponsored by Rep. Dan Bronoske, [which] closes a loophole that subjects certain healthcare workers to mandatory overtime.
HB 2084, sponsored by Rep. Mary Fosse, [which] promotes apprenticeship opportunities for incarcerated individuals.
and SB 5793, sponsored by Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, [which] expands when employees are able to use paid sick leave, including if a child’s school or daycare is closed for certain reasons, or in certain situations when a person needs to care for a family member.