H-3872              _______________________________________________

                                           HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 4044

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Representatives Wang, Sayan, Lux, Belcher, R. King, O'Brien, Jones, Cole, Anderson, Leonard, Nelson and Wineberry

Read first time 2/3/88 and referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.

TO THE HONORABLE RONALD REAGAN, 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, Unemployment that results from layoffs, shutdowns, sales, relocations, or other forms of plant closure is clearly a social and economic issue requiring a societal response; and

          WHEREAS, Sudden large scale cessation of industrial operations and associated unemployment cause economic and social disruptions because of the loss of jobs, adversely affecting communities as well as displaced workers; and

          WHEREAS, Private employers that create job losses through layoffs and closure should engage in planning that is intended to minimize or prevent unemployment from occurring as a result; and

          WHEREAS, Planning to alleviate unemployment is a fundamental responsibility of the employment relationship; and

          WHEREAS, Both employees and their communities will benefit by advance notification, investigations, compensation, public services, and technical assistance that will minimize or avoid the economic and social disruption resulting from job losses; and

          WHEREAS, Economic planning to avert the dislocation of employment opportunities and new mechanisms of public control are needed to prevent or minimize the harmful economic and social effects of unemployment on employees, their communities, and local government; and

          WHEREAS, A coordinated response to the problems experienced by such displaced workers, their communities and affected state agencies is essential to the informed allocation of state and federal resources; and

          WHEREAS, Proposals have been introduced before the United States Congress that would require employers to provide prior notice of plant closures and significant layoffs; and

          WHEREAS, A federal law mandating prior notice of plant closure would create a uniform standard of corporate responsibility and would alleviate any competition between the states that might otherwise exist if state plant closure requirements varied;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the United States Congress and the President of the United States support and enact into law legislation requiring employers to provide adequate prior notice of plant closures.

          BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.