H-3660              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1780

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Representatives Jacobsen, Sprenkle, Meyers, Jones, Heavey, P. King, Anderson and Ebersole

Read first time 1/25/88 and referred to Committee on Higher Education.

AN ACT Relating to a center for participatory management at the University of Washington; adding new sections to chapter 28B.20 RCW; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that by promoting those forms of work organization most closely tied to growth, productivity in the workplace can be enhanced.  The legislature further finds that such work arrangements can be best attained by bringing about a true spirit of cooperative problem-solving in the workplace.  When workers feel involved in the future success of the employer and believe that they can profit from gains in performance and productivity, benefits accrue to both employers and employees.  The legislature finds that these types of improvements in labor-management relations will promote a new spirit of cooperation and will foster a collaborative relationship which would replace the adversarial approaches to workplace dealings which are sometimes detrimental to production.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 28B.20 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) A center for participatory management is created in the school of business administration at the University of Washington.  The center shall operate under the authority of the board of regents of the University of Washington.

          (2) The center for participatory management shall be designed to advance the study and practice of participatory management with the goal of improving labor-management relations, enhancing employee satisfaction with work, improving product quality, and increasing productivity without reducing jobs.  The center shall study participatory management techniques such as labor-management committees, job enlargement and enrichment, autonomous work teams, profit sharing, worker representation on boards of directors, and "Scanlon Plans."

          (3) The center for participatory management shall:

          (a) Conduct original research on participatory management, which shall be of practical use to management or labor in this state.

          (b) Collect information on participatory management research and practices.

          (c) Disseminate information on participatory management to management, labor, and economic development officials through conferences, seminars, newsletters, and other means.

          (d) Provide technical assistance for the establishment of participatory management practices in firms in this state.

          (4) The center shall be administered by a director appointed by the dean of the school of business administration.  The director shall be a member of the faculty of that school.

          (5) The center shall solicit financial contributions from management, labor, federal agencies, and other sources.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 28B.20 RCW to read as follows:

          At least once per year the governor shall convene a meeting of representatives of management and labor to report on the productivity and support activities engaged in by the center.  Establishment of an ongoing labor-management cooperative atmosphere should be emphasized, and new approaches to work organization should be introduced to encourage workers and management to participate in activities that improve productivity.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     The sum of two hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1989, from the general fund to the University of Washington for the purposes of this act.