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.