HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1598

As Reported by House Committee On:

Commerce & Labor

Title:  An act relating to the hours of operators of power equipment in waterfront operations.

Brief Description:  Repealing hourly requirements for waterfront operations.

Sponsors:  Representatives Conway and Clements.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Commerce & Labor:  2/9/01, 2/16/01 [DP].

  Brief Summary of Bill

$Repeals the limit on hours that longshore workers may operate equipment without a rest period.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR

Majority Report:  Do pass. Signed by 7 members: Representatives Conway, Democratic Co‑Chair; B. Chandler, Republican Vice Chair; Wood, Democratic Vice Chair; Hunt, Kenney, Lisk and McMorris.

Staff:  Jill Reinmuth (786‑7134).

Background:

Under state law an employer may not permit a longshore worker to operate equipment for loading or unloading cargo from ships and other watercraft for a period of more than 12.5 hours without a rest period of eight hours.  This limit does not apply in an emergency.

Summary of  Bill:

The limit on hours that longshore workers may operate equipment without a rest period is repealed.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Current law is outdated.  Since the law was adopted in 1953 the industry has changed.  Then, the time required to unload cargo was often 30 days, and the work was physically demanding.  Now, the time required is just six hours, and with technology, the work is less physically demanding.  Employers and workers need flexibility to work when they can.  No other industry is subject to laws that limit the hours that workers can operate equipment.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Roger Boespflug, International Longshore and Warehouse Union; Scott Mason, International Longshore and Warehouse Union; Max Vekich, International Longshore and Warehouse Union and Self; and Dan McMurdie, Labor and Industries.