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Agricultural workers in Washington will see a mandated 40-hour workweek that will ensure a bonus for overtime, starting Jan. 1.
The Washington State Legislature passed a law that extended overtime to agricultural workers on a phased-in basis in 2021. As of today, agricultural workers who clock more than 40 hours a week will have to be paid at least time-and-a-half for overtime, or more than that if the overtime rate is negotiated through a contract.
The law makes Washington one of the few states to require employers to pay overtime to agricultural workers. Last legislative session, agricultural companies asked lawmakers to carve out 12-week exemptions for the most labor-intensive periods, but the legislation died in committee.
Paid sick leave for construction
Starting today, many construction workers, who had been exempt from certain parts of the state’s paid sick leave laws, will now get paid out for the time off that they accrue after their jobs have ended.
According to the state Department of Labor and Industries, an employer must pay the balance of a construction worker’s unused sick leave if they have not employed the person for 90 days.
While the update covers many construction workers, residential construction workers are not included in this update to the law. Supporters of the change told lawmakers that it would help construction workers who often switch employers as they work on different projects.
Voting rights
A new state law bolsters the ability of civil rights organizations and Indigenous nations to challenge violations of the Washington Voting Rights Act, which protects classes of people from systemic voter suppression in local and state elections on the basis of race or ethnicity.
House Bill 1048 also clarifies that a protected class could include a coalition of people of different racial, ethnic or language-minority groups. It also allows a county to increase the number of commissioners in order to prevent a violation of the Washington Voting Rights Act against Indigenous nations that are located within its jurisdiction.
Newspaper business tax break
To help Washington’s struggling newspaper industry, lawmakers approved a business and operations tax exemption for news organizations that primarily publish in print.
The tax exemption replaces a preferential tax rate for newspapers that was set to expire this year. The tax break will cost the state between $1.6 million and $2.4 million per biennium, according to the bill’s fiscal note.
Primary sponsor Sen. Mark Mullet, D-Issaquah, said there was concern over local communities losing the service and civic engagement provided by newspapers as the industry struggles financially and local papers close or cut jobs.
According to a 2022 report by the League of Women Voters of Washington, Washington has 20% fewer print newspapers than it did in 2004. Total newsroom staffing in Washington also declined 67%, the report added.
Methow Valley News publisher Don Nelson told lawmakers that every dollar counts, especially at small newspapers.
“I think more importantly, it benefits our readers and therefore your constituents,” said Nelson, also a member of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, an organization of community newspapers throughout the state. “They rely on our paper … for a lot of reasons, mostly for community connections, and we want to be able to continue to deliver that to them.”
Additional changes
The state’s Working Families Tax Credit, a tax refund for low- and medium-income people also eligible for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, will be expanded to people who file their taxes as “married filing separately.” Tax credits range from $300 for income-eligible single people to $1,200 for eligible persons with three or more qualifying children.
New air quality protections for outdoor workers affected by wildfire smoke will be enforced starting Jan. 15, according to the state’s Department of Labor and Industries.
The process of getting Commercial Driver Licenses will be getting an update in 2024. Those renewing their CDLs may now do so online, and the state is adjusting CDL exam fees.
The definition of illegal street racing has been broadened and enforcement procedures, including criminal charges and seizing of cars, have been outlined as of Jan. 1.
Reporter Joseph O’Sullivan contributed to this report.