Sept.30,2011WashingtonStateDepartmentofLabor&IndustriesNewsWashington’sminimumwagewillincreaseto$9.04perhourbeginningJan.1,2012,
theDepartmentofLabor&Industrieslastweek.
L&Icalculatesthestate’sminimumwageeachyearasrequiredbyInitiative688,
approvedbyWashingtonvotersin1998.The37-centincreasereflectsa4.258percentincreaseintheConsumerPriceIndexforUrbanWageEarnersandClericalWorkers(CPI5W)sinceAugust2010.
TheCPI-W,whichisusedinthiscalculation,isameasureoftheaveragechangeinpricesovertimeofgoodsandservicespurchasedbyurbanwageearnersandclericalworkers.Goodsandservicesaredeterminedasthosethingspeoplebuyforday-to5
daylivingsuchasfood,clothing,shelter,andfuels,andservicessuchasdoctorvisits.
AccordingtotheBureauofLaborStatistics’newsrelease,overthelast12monthsthepricesofmostcategoriesofconsumergoodsrose.Thelargestcostincreasesoccurredforfuelsandthelowestcostincreaseswereforeducationandcommunica5
tionservices.
Washingtonstatehasthehighestminimumwage,followedbyOregon.Oregonrecentlyannouncedthatitsminimumwagewillrise30centsto$8.80anhourin2012.
INSIDETHISISSUE:
UpdateonMealsandBreaks2WASHINGTONSTATEWASHINGTONSTATEWASHINGTONSTATEWASHINGTONSTATEHEALTHCAREHUMANHEALTHCAREHUMANHEALTHCAREHUMAHEALTHCAREHUMANRESOURCESRESOURCESRESOURCESRESOURCESASSOCIATIONASSOCIATIONASSOCIATIONASSOCIATIONOCTOBER2011LegislativeUpdateWSHAublishesseveralnewsletterstohelpkeepusuptodateonlegislationinOlympia.
TosubscribetoInsideOlympiacontact:
olympia@wsha.orgToviewthemostrecenteditionclickHEREWashington’sMinimumWageSept.30,2011WashingtonStateDepartmentofLabor&IndustriesNewsWashington’sminimumwagewillincreaseto$9.04perhourbeginningJan.1,2012,
theDepartmentofLabor&Industrieslastweek.
L&Icalculatesthestate’sminimumwageeachyearasrequiredbyInitiative688,
approvedbyWashingtonvotersin1998.The37-centincreasereflectsa4.258percentincreaseintheConsumerPriceIndexforUrbanWageEarnersandClericalWorkers(CPI5W)sinceAugust2010.
TheCPI-W,whichisusedinthiscalculation,isameasureoftheaveragechangeinpricesovertimeofgoodsandservicespurchasedbyurbanwageearnersandclericalworkers.Goodsandservicesaredeterminedasthosethingspeoplebuyforday-to5
daylivingsuchasfood,clothing,shelter,andfuels,andservicessuchasdoctorvisits.
AccordingtotheBureauofLaborStatistics’newsrelease,overthelast12monthsthepricesofmostcategoriesofconsumergoodsrose.Thelargestcostincreasesoccurredforfuelsandthelowestcostincreaseswereforeducationandcommunica5
tionservices.
Washingtonstatehasthehighestminimumwage,followedbyOregon.Oregonrecentlyannouncedthatitsminimumwagewillrise30centsto$8.80anhourin2012.
INSIDETHISISSUE:
UpdateonMealsandBreaks2WASHINGTONSTATEWASHINGTONSTATEWASHINGTONSTATEWASHINGTONSTATEHEALTHCAREHUMANHEALTHCAREHUMANHEALTHCAREHUMAHEALTHCAREHUMANRESOURCESRESOURCESRESOURCESRESOURCESASSOCIATIONASSOCIATIONASSOCIATIONASSOCIATIONOCTOBER2011LegislativeUpdateWSHAublishesseveralnewsletterstohelpkeepusuptodateonlegislationinOlympia.
TosubscribetoInsideOlympiacontact:
olympia@wsha.orgToviewthemostrecenteditionclickHEREWashington’sMinimumWage

WSHHRA 
LEGISLATIVE 
UPDATE 
PAGE 
2 


IfyouhaveanideatoaddtotheLegislativeUpdatepleasecontact:
CarolynTucker,SPHRWSHHRALegislativeandLaborLiaisonctucker@islandhospital.orgUpdate-MealsandBreaksResourcesWSHAwww.wsha.orgWSHHRAwww.wshhra.orgAssociationofWashingtonBusinesswww.awb.orgSHRMHRVoiceAdvocacywww.shrm.orgWAStateLegislatorscontact&Billinformationwww.leg.wa.govWALeg.Review&MediaClipswww.tvw.orgAmericanSocietyforHealthcareHumanResourcesAdministrationwww.ashhra.orgThefollowingisanupdatefromGladysCampbell,CEO,NWONEfrom9/29/11TheRuckelshausteamhasbeenhardatworkforseveralmonthswiththethreenursingunionsinourstateaddressingtheircollectivedesiretohaveleislationmandatinguninterruptedbreaksforallnursesandtechnologists/technicians.Wewouldopposesuchlegislationandwouldliketoavoidalegislativebattleonthisissueinthenextlegislativesessionifatallpossible.
WSHAhashostedtwomeetingswithbothurbanandruralhospitalmemberstogaininputonourwork.WeareattemptingtonegotiatewiththeunionstogaintheiracceptanceofarevisionofexistingL&Irulesonbreaksasanalternativetolegislation.Todatewehavenotmadeanyfirm,jointcommitments,beyondouragreementtocontinuetoworktogethertotrytofindajointsolutioninthisarea.WehavecommittedtoworkthroughOctoberonthisissueandifwedonotreachagreementbythattimewedoexpecttheunionstointroducelegislationonbraks.SeveralofuswillbemeetingwithL&Inextweektotrytogaintheiragreementforswiftadoptionofarulesrevisionifweareabletoreachagreementwiththeunions.Hopethishelps...wecontinuetoworkonyourbehalftosupportourhospitals.
GladysCampbellChiefExecutiveOfficer,NWONEChiefNursingOfficer&SeniorLeaderforClinicalStrategy,WSHA