Controversial labor bill may not return in 2010, Gregoire says
Wednesday, September 9, 2009 | 5:59 pm
Gov. Chris Gregoire said today she does not think organized labor will be pressing for worker privacy legislation in 2010.
“I do not expect it to be introduced,” she told members of the Capitol press corps this afternoon.
Why would they not pursue what has been one of their top agenda items of the last couple years?
Because Oregon beat Washington to the punch.
Its Legislature passed a
very similar piece of legislation and Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed it June 30. It takes effect Jan. 1.
Gregoire and her senior advisor Marty Brown said they believe Washington labor leaders will want to see if there is a legal challenge to the Oregon bill and how that fight ends before fully re-igniting their effort in this state..
That doesn't guarantee it won't be re-introduced. If it is maybe it won't stir up the dust that way it did in 2009 when a scrap over an e-mail led Gregoire, House Speaker Frank Chopp and Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown to set the bill aside.
If there is no worker privacy bill it will be a load off the minds of Boeing Co. officials who fought it so hard the last couple years.
Speaking of Boeing, Gregoire has had meetings with company leaders the last couple days.
On Tuesday she met with Jim Albaugh, successor to Scott Carson as the incoming chief executive officer of the company's commercial airplane division.
Today, just before reporters walked into her office, Gregoire chatted with Boeing lobbyists David Schumacher and Trent House. Also present was the governor's aerospace advisor Bill McSherry.
One of the topics in both meetings was the legislative agenda the company is drawing up for 2010.
The subject of a second production line for the 787 Dreamliner also came up. Gregoire was asked by a reporter if she got the impression the Legislature will need to put together some sort of package to offer Boeing as was done in 2003.
Her reply should ease the minds of a few Democrats:
“They haven't asked and I've been very direct in asking is there anything we can do and I've been told no."
“I do not expect it to be introduced,” she told members of the Capitol press corps this afternoon.
Why would they not pursue what has been one of their top agenda items of the last couple years?
Because Oregon beat Washington to the punch.
Its Legislature passed a
very similar piece of legislation and Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed it June 30. It takes effect Jan. 1.
Gregoire and her senior advisor Marty Brown said they believe Washington labor leaders will want to see if there is a legal challenge to the Oregon bill and how that fight ends before fully re-igniting their effort in this state..
That doesn't guarantee it won't be re-introduced. If it is maybe it won't stir up the dust that way it did in 2009 when a scrap over an e-mail led Gregoire, House Speaker Frank Chopp and Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown to set the bill aside.
If there is no worker privacy bill it will be a load off the minds of Boeing Co. officials who fought it so hard the last couple years.
Speaking of Boeing, Gregoire has had meetings with company leaders the last couple days.
On Tuesday she met with Jim Albaugh, successor to Scott Carson as the incoming chief executive officer of the company's commercial airplane division.
Today, just before reporters walked into her office, Gregoire chatted with Boeing lobbyists David Schumacher and Trent House. Also present was the governor's aerospace advisor Bill McSherry.
One of the topics in both meetings was the legislative agenda the company is drawing up for 2010.
The subject of a second production line for the 787 Dreamliner also came up. Gregoire was asked by a reporter if she got the impression the Legislature will need to put together some sort of package to offer Boeing as was done in 2003.
Her reply should ease the minds of a few Democrats:
“They haven't asked and I've been very direct in asking is there anything we can do and I've been told no."
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