H-4302              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1828

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Representatives Jacobsen, Jones, Fox, Belcher and P. King

Read first time 1/27/88 and referred to Committee on Trade & Economic Development.

AN ACT Relating to the promotion of employee involvement programs; adding a new section to chapter 43.63A 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 the dynamic nature of the economy requires that firms be increasingly flexible and productive to remain competitive in international markets.  The legislature further finds that increased involvement by employees in the management of the firms in which they are employed is an effective method for increasing the flexibility and productivity of the state's businesses.  Such increased involvement is also a prerequisite for maintaining a state economy that produces sufficient quality employment at healthy wages for the citizens of the state.  Programs which involve employees in the management of firms tend to increase the economic vitality of the state's businesses.  The legislature finds that programs such as labor-management committees, job enlargement and enrichment, autonomous work teams, profit sharing, employee stock ownership plans, employee cooperatives, employee representation on boards of directors, and "Scanlon Plans" can increase productivity, improve labor-management cooperation, enhance the job satisfaction of employees, and increase the commitment of employees to their jobs and to the firms that employ them.  These improvements can enhance the competitiveness of Washington firms by increasing their flexibility and productivity and can enhance the quality of work life of the state's citizens.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 43.63A RCW to read as follows:

          (1) The state agencies and programs which provide technical and managerial assistance to businesses in the state shall incorporate into their existing programs the promotion of employee involvement programs and practices.  Those state agencies and programs are the department of trade and economic development, the department of community development, the employment security department, the superintendent of public instruction and the school district board of directors in school districts operating vocational-technical institutes, the small business development center at Washington State University, and the small business assistance programs operated by the state board for community college education in conjunction with the small business development center.  Employee involvement programs include, but are not limited to:  Labor-management committees, job enlargement and enrichment, autonomous work teams, profit sharing, employee stock ownership plans, employee cooperatives, employee representation on boards of directors, and "Scanlon Plans."

          (2) To carry out the purposes of this section, the department of community development shall develop educational materials to be provided to the state agencies and programs listed in this section and to the firms utilizing the business assistance programs furnished by those state agencies and programs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     The sum of twenty 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 department of community development for the purposes of this act.