Legislature(2023 - 2024)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

05/06/2024 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

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Audio Topic
01:32:38 PM Start
01:33:41 PM HB88
01:41:57 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
*+ HB 88 WAREHOUSE WORK QUOTAS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
*+ HB 203 PAYMENT OF WAGES; PAYROLL CARD ACCOUNT TELECONFERENCED
Scheduled but Not Heard
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
          SENATE LABOR AND COMMERCE STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                        
                          May 6, 2024                                                                                           
                           1:32 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Jesse Bjorkman, Chair                                                                                                   
Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson                                                                                                       
Senator Forrest Dunbar                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Click Bishop, Vice Chair                                                                                                
Senator Kelly Merrick                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 88(L&C)                                                                                 
"An Act relating to work quotas for employees at warehouse                                                                      
distribution centers; and providing for an effective date."                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     - HEARD & HELD                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
HB 203-PAYMENT OF WAGES; PAYROLL CARD ACCOUNT                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     - SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HB  88                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: WAREHOUSE WORK QUOTAS                                                                                              
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) RAUSCHER                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
02/27/23       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
02/27/23       (H)       L&C, JUD                                                                                               
03/29/23       (H)       L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124                                                                              
03/29/23       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
03/29/23       (H)       MINUTE(L&C)                                                                                            
04/10/23       (H)       L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124                                                                              
04/10/23       (H)       <Bill Hearing Canceled>                                                                                
04/12/23       (H)       L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124                                                                              
04/12/23       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
04/12/23       (H)       MINUTE(L&C)                                                                                            
04/14/23       (H)       L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124                                                                              
04/14/23       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
04/14/23       (H)       MINUTE(L&C)                                                                                            
04/17/23       (H)       L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124                                                                              
04/17/23       (H)       Moved CSHB 88(L&C) Out of Committee                                                                    
04/17/23       (H)       MINUTE(L&C)                                                                                            
04/19/23       (H)       L&C RPT CS(L&C) 3DP 4NR                                                                                
04/19/23       (H)       DP: FIELDS, CARRICK, SUMNER                                                                            
04/19/23       (H)       NR: SADDLER, PRAX, WRIGHT, RUFFRIDGE                                                                   
01/29/24       (H)       JUD AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120                                                                           

01/29/24 (H) Heard & Held

01/29/24 (H) MINUTE(JUD)

01/31/24 (H) JUD AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120

01/31/24 (H) Moved CSHB 88(L&C) Out of Committee

01/31/24 (H) MINUTE(JUD) 02/02/24 (H) JUD RPT CS(L&C) 6DP 1NR 02/02/24 (H) DP: C.JOHNSON, GRAY, CARPENTER, SUMNER, GROH, VANCE 02/02/24 (H) NR: ALLARD 04/26/24 (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S) 04/26/24 (H) VERSION: CSHB 88(L&C) 04/29/24 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 04/29/24 (S) L&C 05/06/24 (S) L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg) BILL: HB 203 SHORT TITLE: PAYMENT OF WAGES; PAYROLL CARD ACCOUNT SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) SUMNER 05/16/23 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 05/16/23 (H) L&C

01/26/24 (H) BILL REPRINTED 02/09/24 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124 02/09/24 (H) <Bill Hearing Canceled> 02/16/24 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124 02/23/24 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124 02/23/24 (H) Scheduled but Not Heard 02/28/24 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124 02/28/24 (H) -- Invited & Public Testimony -- 03/01/24 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124 03/01/24 (H) Scheduled but Not Heard 03/04/24 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124 03/04/24 (H) Heard & Held 03/04/24 (H) MINUTE(L&C) 03/11/24 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124 03/11/24 (H) Heard & Held 03/11/24 (H) MINUTE(L&C) 03/18/24 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124 03/18/24 (H) RESIDENTIAL BUILDING CODE 03/20/24 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124 03/20/24 (H) Moved HB 203 Out of Committee 03/20/24 (H) MINUTE(L&C) 03/21/24 (H) L&C RPT 4DP 3NR 03/21/24 (H) DP: RUFFRIDGE, PRAX, SADDLER, SUMNER 03/21/24 (H) NR: FIELDS, CARRICK, WRIGHT 05/01/24 (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S) 05/01/24 (H) VERSION: HB 203 AM 05/03/24 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 05/03/24 (S) L&C 05/06/24 (S) L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg) WITNESS REGISTER RYAN MCKEE, Staff Representative George Rauscher Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Introduced HB 88 on behalf of the sponsor. PATRICK FITZGERALD, Political Coordinator Teamsters Local 959 Anchorage, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Gave a presentation on HB 88. ACTION NARRATIVE 1:32:38 PM CHAIR JESSE BJORKMAN called the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:32 p.m. Present at the call to order were Senators Gray-Jackson, Dunbar and Chair Bjorkman. He announced that the agenda would consist of HB 88 and that HB 203 had been removed from the agenda. HB 88-WAREHOUSE WORK QUOTAS 1:33:41 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN announced the consideration of CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 88(L&C) "An Act relating to work quotas for employees at warehouse distribution centers; and providing for an effective date." 1:34:10 PM RYAN MCKEE, Staff, Representative George Rauscher, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, introduced HB 88 on behalf of the sponsor, reading from the following statement: [Original punctuation provided.] House Bill 88 Sponsor Statement House Bill 88 Warehouse Worker Protection Act is designed to provide transparency for warehouse and logistic workers when they agree to a pay scale based on a quota or production goal. HB 88 is also designed to provide protections for workers against counterproductive methods employers miss the mark on, to speed up production and save on costs. With over 90 [percent] of food coming from outside Alaska, these workers are the lifeline to keep the state operational. Warehouse and logistic workers face many challenges in the workplace, HB 88 will allow workers to focus on delivering goods and maintaining a healthy supply chain while also ensuring they are able to work in a safe environment where employers don't encourage speed over safety. 1:35:07 PM MR. MCKEE noted two changes in the bill: • Section 23.10.700, page 1, line 9: changed work conditions from 100 to 200 employees. • Section 23.10.725, page 3, line 4: after "center" the words "who is subject to a quota" were added. 1:35:48 PM SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON repeated a question that was asked in the House Judiciary Standing Committee on January 31, 2024. She asked how many warehouses in Alaska would be affected by HB 88. 1:36:08 PM MR. MCKEE answered zero. 1:36:20 PM SENATOR DUNBAR recalled working at a cannery in his youth. He said the crew worked 15-hour days, seven days a week and he said there were a set number of mandated breaks. He asked whether HB 88 provided for supplemental breaks or if the warehouses addressed by the bill were exempt from those mandated breaks. 1:37:18 PM MR. MCKEE answered that HB 88 is directed at employers that want to increase production in the same amount of work time. HB 88 would establish parameters to ensure employee safety in the event that employers speed up the pace of production. 1:38:27 PM PATRICK FITZGERALD, Political Coordinator, Teamsters Local 959, Anchorage, Alaska, said House Bill 88 would add to the statute two protections for warehouse and logistics workers and prevent predatory practices in the future. First, HB 88 will provide transparency for quota-based pay positions in warehouses by allowing the employee access to quota rate from the start of their employment and any changes that are made as the employee progresses. This will allow workers to be fully aware of the expectations set by their employers and how to best meet those goals. MR. FITZGERALD said HB 88 also creates a mechanism for employees to request the work speed data that their employer is using to track their progress and speed. Employees having access to this data will bring solutions to a work environment that has had problems with retention because of quota based operations. MR. FITZGERALD said HB 88 would provide protections that have been proven to reduce workplace accidents in quota-based jobs such as allowing for time for restroom breaks and reasonable workloads to prevent high turnover rate. MR. FITZGERALD said the idea of HB 88 is to protect workers who maintain and operate warehouses that store 95 percent of the food that comes into Alaska, conducts logistics for all construction materials that come into the state to build our future, and work to ensure those in rural parts of the state are able to stay connected to a strong consistent supply chain of food, medicine and all other goods. He urged the committee to protect the warehouse workers of Alaska and pass HB 88. 1:41:06 PM MR. MCKEE expressed appreciation to the committee for hearing HB 88. 1:41:16 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN held HB 88 in committee. 1:41:57 PM There being no further business to come before the committee, Chair Bjorkman adjourned the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee meeting at 1:41 p.m.

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
HB88 Ver B.PDF SL&C 5/6/2024 1:30:00 PM
HB 88
HB88 Sponsor Statement.pdf SL&C 5/6/2024 1:30:00 PM
HB 88
HB88 Sectional Analysis ver B.pdf SL&C 5/6/2024 1:30:00 PM
HB 88
HB88 Fiscal Note DOLWD-WH 01.26.24.pdf SL&C 5/6/2024 1:30:00 PM
HB 88
HB88 Fiscal Note-DOLWD-WH-03.24.23.pdf SL&C 5/6/2024 1:30:00 PM
HB 88
HB88 Opposing Documents-Letter_State Chamber 05.04.24.pdf SL&C 5/6/2024 1:30:00 PM
HB 88
HB203 ver A.A.pdf SL&C 5/6/2024 1:30:00 PM
HB 203
HB203 Sponsor Statement.pdf SL&C 5/6/2024 1:30:00 PM
HB 203
HB203 Fiscal Note DOLWD-WH 02.02.24.pdf SL&C 5/6/2024 1:30:00 PM
HB 203
HB203 Supporting Documents-AK Electronic Pay Explanation of Needed Legislation 01.13.23.pdf SL&C 5/6/2024 1:30:00 PM
HB 203
HB203 Supporting Documents-Payroll Card Advantages 2023KH.pdf SL&C 5/6/2024 1:30:00 PM
HB 203
HB203 Sectional Analysis ver A.A.pdf SL&C 5/6/2024 1:30:00 PM
HB 203