04/14/2023 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

            HB  88-WAREHOUSE WORK QUOTA INFORMATION                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
5:25:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER announced  that the next order of  business would be                                                               
HB  88,  "An  Act  relating  to  work  quotas  for  employees  at                                                               
warehouse distribution  centers; and  providing for  an effective                                                               
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
5:26:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER  moved to adopt  Amendment 1  to HB 88,  labeled 33-                                                               
LS0516\A.1, Klein, 4/11/23, which read as follows:                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, lines 3 - 4:                                                                                                       
          Delete all material and insert:                                                                                       
         "(1)  "employee" means a person who works in a                                                                         
     warehouse distribution center and who is subject to a                                                                      
     quota;"                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK objected.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SUMNER  explained  that   Amendment  1  would  narrow  the                                                               
definition  of  workers  who  work in  a  warehouse,  because  as                                                               
written the proposed legislation is too broad.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
5:26:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK  asked how many warehouses  in Alaska have                                                               
100 or more employees.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
5:27:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GEORGE  RAUSCHER,  Alaska State  Legislature,  as                                                               
prime sponsor, deferred the question to his staff.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
5:27:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RYAN MCKEE,  Staff, Representative George Rauscher,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, on behalf of  Representative Rauscher, prime sponsor                                                               
of HB 88, responded that fewer  than 15 warehouses have more than                                                               
100 employees.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
5:28:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PATRICK  FITZGERALD,  Representative,  Teamsters  959,  providing                                                               
invited testimony on HB 88, concurred with Mr. McKee.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
5:28:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARRICK removed  her objection.   There  being no                                                               
further objection, Amendment 1 to HB 88 was adopted.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
5:29:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK  moved to adopt  Amendment 2 to HB  88, as                                                               
amended, labeled,  33-LS0516\A.2, Klein,  4/12/23, which  read as                                                               
follows:                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 9:                                                                                                            
          Delete "100"                                                                                                          
     Insert "50"                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER objected.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
5:29:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK  explained that  Amendment 2  would reduce                                                               
the number of employees from 100 to 50 in the proposed bill.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
5:30:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FIELDS expressed  satisfaction with  the original                                                               
number.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
5:30:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  requested that the bill  sponsor speak to                                                               
the amendment.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  RAUSCHER  expressed  uncertainty because  of  his                                                               
lack  of knowledge  of the  number of  warehouses which  would be                                                               
affected.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
5:31:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK requested Mr.  Fitzgerald's opinion of the                                                               
amendment.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR.  FITZGERALD  stated  that  Teamsters 959  is  in  support  of                                                               
lowering the  number of warehouse  workers, especially  after the                                                               
passage of Amendment  1.  He stated that the  scope of warehouses                                                               
this would cover is still being determined.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
5:32:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
A  roll call  vote was  taken.   Representative Carrick  voted in                                                               
favor  of Amendment  2 to  HB  88, as  amended.   Representatives                                                               
Prax,  Saddler,  Wright, Fields,  and  Sumner  voted against  it.                                                               
Therefore, Amendment 2 failed by a vote of 1-5.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
5:33:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER  moved to adopt  Amendment 3  to HB 88,  as amended,                                                               
labeled, 33-LS0516\A.3, Klein, 4/14/23, which read as follows:                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 9:                                                                                                            
          Delete "100"                                                                                                          
     Insert "200"                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK objected.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER explained  that Amendment 3 would  ensure the safety                                                               
of workers in large warehouse  situations, especially in light of                                                               
future interest which may come to the state.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
5:34:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FIELDS commented  that he  is in  support of  the                                                               
amendment,  as it  would ensure  the  proposed legislation  would                                                               
protect worker safety.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
5:35:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  asked for Representative  Rauscher's view                                                               
of the amendment.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  RAUSCHER answered  that he  does not  support the                                                               
amendment.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
5:36:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 5:36 p.m. to 5:37 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
5:37:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER expressed the  opinion that the number of                                                               
warehouse workers should remain at 100.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
5:37:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK  commented that she supports  the original                                                               
number  because it  widens  the  number of  workers  who will  be                                                               
protected by the bill.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
5:38:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
A  roll  call vote  was  taken.   Representatives  Sumner,  Prax,                                                               
Fields  voted in  favor  of Amendment  3 to  HB  88, as  amended.                                                               
Representatives Saddler,  Wright, and  Carrick voted  against it.                                                               
Therefore, Amendment 3 failed by a vote of 3-3.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER announced that HB 88, as amended, was held over.