FINAL BILL REPORT

                                   SSB 5374

                                  C 172 L 91

                              SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

Brief Description:  Establishing the industrial insurance labor‑management cooperation program.

SPONSORS:Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Anderson, Newhouse, Vognild, West, Conner and Thorsness).

SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

BACKGROUND:

In a rapidly changing economy, cooperation between labor and management is viewed as increasingly crucial to an area's economic health.  The United States Department of Labor is making a concerted effort to foster better labor-management relations throughout the country.

Some states, and some areas in Washington State, have formal labor-management cooperation mechanisms in place that have reported successes.

Industrial insurance may be an area for which labor-management committees are particularly suited.  Such committees in other states, including Oregon, have allowed labor and management to jointly and effectively address local industrial insurance concerns.

SUMMARY:

The industrial insurance labor-management cooperation program is established in the Department of Labor and Industries.  It will promote and assist the establishment of local industrial insurance labor-management committees, gather and disseminate information on industrial insurance and relevant issues to be addressed by local committees, and carry-out educational activities to promote labor-management cooperation.

The program coordinator appointed by the director of the department reports quarterly to the workers' compensation advisory committee on the program.

The director of the department reports annually to the Legislature on the program.

The program terminates June 30, 1992 unless otherwise extended.

The bill is contingent upon funding in the Omnibus Budget Act.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

Senate      47    2

House 95    0

EFFECTIVE:July 28, 1991