Latest News
URGENT – YOUR ACTION NEEDED NOW!! KEY HEARING ON FRIDAY
TAKE ACTION: Use this form* to indicate that you are OPPOSED to the bill. Select CON from the first dropdown. *Be sure to select CON from the first dropdown to indicate your position. We need to get as many people as possible in the industry to SIGN IN OPPOSED to the...
WAGE & HOUR BULLETIN: L&I Webinars Can Help You Understand Washington’s Wage & Hour Laws
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries’ (L&I) Employment Standards Program is hosting 20 webinars early in 2022 to help employers and workers understand Washington’s wage and hour laws. The webinar topics include protections for isolated...
Important Update Regarding Washington’s Long-Term Care Program & Collection of Employee Premiums
Over the last two weeks, we have reached out to the Governor’s Office and Employment Security Department to advocate for the important change to the rule. Unfortunately, neither the governor nor the agency has immediate plans to revise the rule. As a result, the...
WA Cares Fund Premium Delayed
In case you missed it: Gov. Jay Inslee, together with Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig and House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, released the following statements this morning on delaying the Washington Cares Fund premium assessment: “I have been in ongoing discussions with...
Successful Factory Tours Come to a Close
NWHPBA and HPBA manufacturers opened their doors this year to legislators from Idaho and Washington. These tours, originally done to showcase the work our manufacturers have done in creating clean-burning woodstoves to meet new EPA NSPS guidelines, also helped educate...
Lawsuit Filed Against Washington’s Long-Term Care Program, WA Cares Fund
Article from The Seattle Times by Rachel La CorteWritten November 9, 2021 | Updated November 10, 2021OLYMPIA – Opponents of a mandatory payroll tax to fund Washington state’s new long-term care program filed a lawsuit Tuesday in federal court seeking to stop the...
Washington State Department of Labor & Industries Update – L&I Considers Contractor Registration Fee Increases
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) is considering raising the fee to register, renew or be reinstated as a contractor by 5.79%. The amount of the increase is the state Office of Financial Management’s maximum allowable fiscal growth...
The Federal Government Makes It Official: It Will Cost More to Heat This Winter in Most Regions
Article by John Crouch, Director, Public Affairs, HPBA Anyone who has purchased gasoline recently already suspects that energy may cost more this winter, but some families, in some parts of the country, may be in for a really big surprise. On October 13th the U.S....
Washington State Department of Labor & Industries Update – For 2022, Washington Minimum Wage Rises to $14.49 Per Hour
TUMWATER — The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) announced Wednesday the state’s minimum wage will rise to $14.49 per hour starting Jan. 1, 2022. State law mandates L&I calculate the minimum wage for the coming year based on the...
Washington State Quick Legislative Update
A number of things are happening of interest: CALL TO ACTION: STATE BUILDING CODE COUNCIL TO HOLD SPECIAL MEETING TO HEAR COMMENTS ON THE COMMERCIAL ENERGY CODE The State Building Code Council ran out of time last week and did not hear public comments on the...
