S-1851.2 _______________________________________________
SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 8020
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 52nd Legislature 1991 Regular Session
By Senators Owen, Snyder, Conner, McDonald, Johnson, Amondson, Sutherland, Madsen, Rasmussen, McCaslin, Anderson, Vognild, L. Smith, Bailey, von Reichbauer and McMullen.
Read first time March 6, 1991. Under suspension of rules read second and third times March 6, 1991 and passed.
TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:
We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
WHEREAS, Changes in Federal Forest Service management policies are leading to the loss of twenty thousand timber-related jobs in Washington state due to declines in the federal timber supply; and
WHEREAS, Most of these jobs are located in rural areas of Washington state and displaced timber workers often have few viable employment options; and
WHEREAS, The people of the United States have in the past been willing to help retrain other groups of workers adversely affected by federal decisions; examples include coal miners impacted by the Clean Air Act, and defense workers impacted by recent defense spending cuts; and
WHEREAS, Those retraining programs currently available to displaced timber workers are not adequate; the programs do not allow families to survive the transition period while a worker retrains for a new job nor do they allow families of displaced timber workers to meet emergency needs;
NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the United States Congress pass a Timber Workers Fairness Act that will provide adequate benefits to timber workers impacted by federal decisions. The benefits should be similar to those provided to workers impacted by federal trade policies under the Trade Adjustment Act, and federal environmental policies under the Clean Air Act. The legislation should have the following components:
(1) A training program of adequate duration to provide a transition to family wage jobs;
(2) Training allowances to help families survive through the retraining program. The allowances should be available to self-employed individuals as well as people who have not worked enough hours to be eligible for Unemployment. Families eligible for unemployment insurance should be eligible for an extension of up to fifty-two weeks if they are participating in training; and
(3) Provision of support services to provide for needs such as child care, transportation, and emergency medical services.
BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George Bush, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to each member of Congress from the State of Washington.