Leadership on the Board of Directors By Jan Teague
I hope you all consider the request for additional Board members because we need your leadership. I am always amazed at what the Board does. There is a flurry of activity that goes on behind the scenes of an association that you may not know. And, it is the Board that is leading the charge with their professional expertise and backgrounds.
This kind of volunteering is for those who love politics, those who love to hear about it, to talk about it, and to see it in action. That's what board members do. They talk to the Governor, they talk to key leaders in the legislature, they may give legislators a tour of a retail site. Board members consult staff on how a proposal impacts their company, a critical piece that creates workable laws. Board members are in the know. The association also brings in experts who can tell the membership what is happening on key issues. And, Board members share with staff what they see and hear in their communities or with their companies. They sometimes attend agency meetings or special events.
Why do I ask for help? It's simple really. We are an industry caught in some serious recessionary worries. Consumers are holding on to their cash and regulators are continuing to do their business. More than ever, when business slows, retailers need to tell their story. They need to take the time to participate in their civic affairs.
For those with prior board experience, it's a matter of finding the time. Find it. You know the saying. Busy people find time for things that are important. This is important.
For those without prior board experience, this Board experience would be a good one. Staff members will go out of their way to make sure you have the background information you need to make good decisions for the industry. At the same time, you will find out that you can make a difference for your company and for your industry.
Leadership is not a decision. It is a process during which you develop leadership by agreeing to participate. Once you enter the process, your contributions make you a leader. Decide to help your industry now. You professional talent and background is needed.
Nominations Open from Membership for Board of Directors
The Washington Retail Association is seeking nominations for the Board of Directors. Board members direct the affairs of the Washington Retail Association (WRA), identify legislative priorities, adopt policies and procedures and control property and funds of the association.
The Board meets three times per year to discuss association business. The 2008 fall Board meeting will be held in Seattle at the 7-11 headquarters on November 12. Any WRA member is welcome to attend Board meetings. At this meeting, the upcoming legislative priorities will be discussed as well as the emerging issues anticipated for the 2009 legislative session. Early next year, the Board will meet in Olympia and talk to key legislative leaders about our top priorities. The summer retreat will be held at the Tulalip Resort July 12-13, 2009 where the Board looks at strategic issues.
WRA members who participate in directing the association are a key to the future political agenda of WRA. If you would like more information, please contact Jan Teague at 1-800-752-9552 ext. 19 or send a letter of interest to jteague@retailassociation.org
Mark Johnson, Vice President of Government Affairs for the Washington Retail Association, attended the Governor's advisory committee meeting for the Children's Safe Products Act at SeaTac on July 29. He was accompanied by WRA and committee members Melissa Tennille and Valla Wagner, co-owners of Tacoma's Teaching Toys & Books, and by Jennifer Spall of Wal-Mart.
Wagner and Spall gave presentations on their experiences as toy retailers and how their businesses ensure that children's products are safe.
During the meeting, attendees heard an update that Congress has consensus on a federal children's product safety bill that President Bush could sign into law by early August. This update prompted a lively committee discussion about whether the new federal law could render moot the Washington state law approved earlier this year.
WRA members generally prefer a national solution rather than a state-by-state patchwork of laws and regulations.
"It would have been nice if the state Legislature and the Governor would have waited and given Congress a chance to act on this issue before the Legislature passed a largely unworkable bill," Johnson said.
The next meeting of the advisory committee is scheduled for September 9. At that meeting, members will further discuss various impacts from the expected new federal law.
If you have questions about this issue, contact Johnson at 360-943-9198, Extension 15 or at mark.johnson@retailassociation.org.
Seattle votes to institute bag tax and foam container ban
Seattle this week became the nation's first city to approve placing a 20-cent tax on each disposable plastic or paper bag in order to discourage their use. The City Council also approved a ban on the use of foam food containers.
The phased-in foam ban would begin next year with containers used in takeout restaurants and expand in July 2010 to include food containers used for meat and seafood in groceries. Such containers then would have to be replaced with compostable or recyclable containers. Two of the nine council members were absent for the 6 to 1 vote in favor of the tax and the 7 to 0 vote to ban foam containers.
"We are very concerned about the financial impacts on our customers and the retailers they frequent. It will cost retailers considerable resources to institute and maintain this new bag tax. Additionally, consumers may cross over the Seattle city line to bordering retailers where they will not have to pay this tax," said Mark Johnson, Vice President for Government Affairs for the WRA.
As rising gasoline prices contribute to rising food prices, Johnson said he also was concerned that the law would add to consumers' growing financial burdens.
Though sharing Seattle's concern for maintaining a healthy and sustainable environment, the Washington Retail Association opposed the proposals because it believes they will result in several unintended outcomes. WRA instead advocates a more aggressive recycling program tied to a public education campaign. WRA has urged delay on this issue in favor of conducting a pilot project.
In testimony to the City Council and in letters to the council and Mayor Greg Nickels, the WRA opposed the proposals on several fronts. The tax will slow down transactions, add costs to member merchants and their customers, pose health threats from dirty re-usable bags and lead to increased shoplifting, the WRA argued.
WRA commends Councilwoman Jan Drago for having the courage to oppose the ordinance.
How much money does the UI trust fund need?
WRA staff attended the Unemployment Insurance Advisory Committee meeting of the Employment Security Department last week.
ESD staff reported that the UI trust fund balance stood at $4 billion at the end of May, a record amount that leaves the department capable of extending 20.7 months of benefits under recessionary conditions. This fund has been steadily climbing since 2003 during times of relatively low state unemployment levels. It is an account funded 100 percent by employers.
The state's seasonally adjusted jobless rate stood at a relatively healthy 5.3 percent in May of this year.
"Our members are concerned about the rising cost of doing business," said Mark Johnson, Vice President of Government Affairs for the WRA. "Is the trust fund balance an indicator of an opportunity to provide retailers some relief on their expenses?"
How many months of benefits are needed for a healthy UI system? Most other states operate with considerably lower levels.
Should the Employment Security Department and Legislature consider reducing unemployment tax rates, refunding taxes or declaring a tax "holiday" to compensate for the bulging trust fund?
Health care costs put squeeze on state spending
Health-related expenditures are increasing as a percentage of overall state spending, a new study by the Washington Alliance for a Competitive Economy shows.
Spending on various healthcare categories accounted for 33.5 percent of state general spending in the 2005-2007 biennium, an increase of nearly 8 percentage points from a baseline period of 1997 to 1999, a briefing compiled by the Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program Committee (LEAP) reports.
The brief concluded that during the eight-year study period, state health-related expenditures grew 85.5 percent compared to a growth rate of 30.1 percent for non-health related expenses.
The brief urges further efforts to curb heath-related spending.
"Looking to the future, as health-related expenditures represent an ever-increasing share of overall spending, the squeeze their growth places on other priorities will become more severe," the report notes. "The ability of the state to provide ample funding for priorities such as higher education and public schools will depend on controlling health-related spending growth."
To read the entire brief, go to washace.com or follow the link http://researchcouncil.org/washace-publications/Healthcare%20Trends%202008%20Final.pdf/view to the report.
Source: Washington Alliance for a Competitive Economy
Web seminar scheduled on food-related safety
A Web seminar "refresher" will be conducted on Monday, Aug. 4 by the Food Marketing Institute to cover record keeping requirements related to the Bioterrorism Act of 2002.
FMI has decided to review the subject due to recent food advisories regarding potential illnesses from eating tomatoes and jalapeno peppers.
The seminar will be conducted from 11 a.m. to noon, West Coast time. To register, click on the link below or copy and paste it into your Web browser. The seminar is free to FMI members; non-members will pay a $25 fee for the seminar.
State issues pay guidelines for use of company vehicles
State guidelines have been released by the Department of Labor and Industries to help employers understand when employees are eligible for pay if they use company vehicles driving between their homes and the first or last jobsite of the workday. The policy is meant to clarify the implications of Stevens v. Brink's Home Security, a state Supreme Court decision reached last year related to home security system installers.
Put simply, the draft says an employee qualifies for pay if he or she is prohibited from using the company vehicle for personal reasons while heading to a jobsite or home from a jobsite. If the employer allows the employee to use the vehicle for personal reasons, the draft says that commute time may not be considered as "hours worked."
The draft cautions that the guidelines are subject to change due to reasons such as subsequent legislation or judicial proceedings. The policy is expected to go into effect the middle of August.
To read a draft of the guidelines, click here and follow the link on the Washington Retail Association Website.
Registration is now open for the Governor's Safety and Health Conference.
Thousands of workers are injured, and sadly, more than 100 Washington workers die from job-related injuries each year. Many of these injuries and losses are preventable. The conference provides resources to assist in design and maintenance of a sound safety and healthy culture at your workplace. The benefits include; reduced injuries, less time lost from work, money saved on industrial insurance premiums and an increase in profits. The comprehensive safety skills gained will benefit you far beyond the workplace.
There are two great pre-conference sessions, one dealing with wellness for commercial drivers that is a MUST SEE for any type of driver working out of their vehicle. This will take place Tuesday, September 23, 8:30am - 4:30pm at the DoubleTree Hotel, Spokane Falls Ballroom. For more information, please contact Sharon Drozdowsky at (360) 902-4622 or dros235@LNI.wa.gov . This is valuable for delivery drivers too!
The second session deals with Solutions for an Aging Workforce. Many workplaces are confronted by the demographic reality of an aging workforce. While older workers do have particular needs, solutions must take into account the needs of workers at all stages of their careers and lives. The course will examine specific issues, including workplace design for safety and health; work/life balance; maintaining health as we age; the roles of employers, employees, the larger community, and public policy in addressing this demographic change. For more information, visit http://nwcenter.washington.edu or contact Maribeth Moore, Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety, 206-543-1069 or moomoore@u.washington.edu.
Registration is now open for the Governor's 2008 Economic and Workforce Development Conference, Sept. 3-4, in Lynnwood.
Learn new strategies, applaud best practices and make important connections that will help move your workforce development organization forward.
The conference features: · An update from Gov. Chris Gregoire on The Next Washington. · Recognition of 2008 Economic and Workforce Development Award winners. · Cutting-edge workshops on industry clusters, Innovation Partnership Zones and the green economy. · Compelling breakout sessions to help your organization thrive in a global marketplace.
Register now and qualify for the early-bird registration fee of $150. After Aug. 8, it's $200. Tickets to this two-day event include continental breakfast, lunch and an evening reception.
Join us and learn new ways to keep Washington's economy and workforce moving ahead!
Washington Workforce Development News: Keep posted with the latest workforce development news in Washington state. Reply to this message if you would like to receive our brief weekly e-mail news.
The Washington Attorney General (AG) announced these upcoming free community shred events and free identity theft prevention forums providing opportunities to shred important personally identifiable documents. Bring your documents to be shredded!
Below is a list of upcoming events. You can find more information and additional shredding sites online at www.atg.wa.gov/shredathon.aspx.
MOSES LAKE: Thursday, August 14, 2008, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Location TBA. Guard It! identity theft forum with Attorney General Rob McKenna: Noon to 1:30 pm.Shredding donated by United Data Security.
CENTRALIA: Wednesday, September 3, 2008, 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Location TBA. Guard It! identity theft forum with Attorney General Rob McKenna: Noon to 1:30 pm.Shredding donated by LeMay
GOLDENDALE: Tentatively planned for Wednesday, September 10, 2008. Location TBA. In conjunction with Guard It! identity theft forum with Attorney General Rob McKenna.
TACOMA: Ongoing, Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Tacoma Recycling Co., Inc., 2318 South Tacoma Way Offers free document destruction for private individuals who bring in less than 10 pounds of material during regular business hours. Consumers may witness their papers being destroyed. Businesses will be charged for this service. Info: (253) 474-9559
Washington Retail Association | 618 Quince St SE, STE A | PO Box 2227 | Olympia | WA | 98501
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.
