To represent the legislative, regulatory and political interests of the retailing industry in the State of Washington at the local, state and national level; to promote the orderly development and economic advancement of Washington retailing and the state as a whole; to stimulate and enhance competitive enterprise with community responsibility; to provide programs of service and action in promoting the common interests of members; and to secure cooperation with and among other organizations in the futherance of those objectives.
Auction items needed to fund scholarships By Jan Teague, President/CEO
This year the Council for State Retail Associations is having an auction during its annual meeting event to raise funds for future political networking among all state associations. Sharing political trends, understanding what is happening in the various states and why - these are critical discussions that help us defend our states from bad legislation.
Many state association executives are not able to afford the costs to attend. Scholarships are provided to these state association executives. All states are being asked to help generate auction items to fund these scholarships to help during these hard times. I thought that some of you might want to lend a hand.
Got a condo we could auction for a week's stay? Perhaps you have access to memorabilia? Electronics? Gift baskets? Gift Cards?
We would appreciate your participation and would, of course, recognize it appropriately.
"Card check" would lead to layoffs, new study concludes Unemployment would rise if Congress approved the proposed union-backed Employee Free Choice Act, a new study has concluded. Unionization of 1.5 million existing jobs would lead to the loss of 600,000 jobs the following year, the study by economist Anne Layne-Farrar found. She projected that job opportunities would decrease and inflation would increase if the bill were to become law. To view the full report, click here. Layne-Farrar, who holds a PhD in economics from the University of Chicago, serves on the non-partisan firm LECG Consulting, headquartered in Emeryville, California. The findings won support of the Alliance to Save Main Street Jobs, which includes the International Council of Shopping Centers, the Retail Industry Leaders Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Builders and Contractors. For every 3.9 million jobs that were unionized, another 1.6 million workers either would lose their jobs or not be able to find employment, concluded Layne-Farrar, who urged defeat of the bill in Congress. It would eliminate the employee secret ballot and provide for union organization if a majority of employees signed a card indicating they wanted a union. The industry term for the bill is “card check.” The Washington State Legislature elected against taking action on similar bills this year. “The unintended consequences of passing EFCA are likely to be significant,” Layne-Farrar said. “Increased unemployment and reduced labor supply are very high prices to pay during any time, but especially during a recession.” The nation's 9.5 percent unemployment rate is the highest in 26 years. In her study, Layne-Farrar concluded that higher union wages can lead to fewer positions for unionized workers and slower employment growth as firms shift work to non-unionized sectors.
The Washington Retail Association, WRA, is a 501 C 6 trade association formed to advocate for Washington State’s retailers at the local, state and national level. Since 1987, the WRA has protected Washington's retailers from unreasonable taxes, fees, regulations and legislation. The efforts of the WRA benefit all Washington state retailers and help fuel statewide economic growth.
