Family leave compromise reached

OLYMPIA – Agreement on a landmark bill on family leave insurance was reached today as the state Senate voted 26-21 on a compromise the House approved by a 57-41 vote on April 20.

“This is a great day for the working families of Washington,” said Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent, the bill’s sponsor. “We now become the second state in the nation to offer this critically important program that lets workers balance their family and job responsibilities. No one should be forced to choose between bonding with their newborn and going to work so they can put food on the table.”

“This bill recognizes the realities our families now face,” said Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, D-Seattle, sponsor of the House companion measure. “With 40 percent of our workers not getting a single day of paid sick leave, this measure is as necessary as it is compassionate.”

“It’s been a long and deliberate process, but worth it,” said Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, chair of the Senate Labor, Commerce, Research & Development Committee. “This session we made remarkable advances for workers, and this bill reflecting family values is at the top of the list.”

Senate Bill 5659 would allow qualified employees — those who have worked at least 680 hours during their qualifying year — to take five weeks of leave for the birth of a child or placement of an adopted child. Benefits would be capped at $250 a week and prorated for part-time employees. Worker protections are in place that may allow a worker to be restored to his or her former position. To be eligible, an employee must have worked for an employer for at least 1,250 hours in the previous 12 months. Employers with fewer than 25 employees would not be required to offer this protection for an employee taking family leave.

Leave taken under this program would have to be concurrent with leave under federal law. An employer may require that family leave be taken concurrently with similar leave allowed under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement or employer policy.

The bill also sets up a 13-member joint legislative task force charged with looking at program benefits and how they should be financed. Its report to the Legislature is due Jan. 1, 2008.

Benefits would start on Oct. 1, 2009. Funds to run the program will come from a loan from the Industrial Insurance Supplemental Pension Fund, which will be reimbursed, with interest, within two years.

The bill now goes to the governor for her signature.

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