Washington Information Network
Washington's resource for political activity and issues important to retail industry professionals. Distributed to 2,800 subscribers
September 11, 2013
Washington Retail Association Newsletter
 Staff Contacts

 Jan Teague

President/CEO

360.943.9198, ext. 19

[email protected]

 

Mark Johnson

Vice President of Government Affairs

360.943.9198, ext. 15

[email protected]

 

Tammie Hetrick

Vice President of Retail Services (RASI)

360.943.9198, ext. 13

 [email protected]

 

Jim Szymanski

Director of Public Affairs
360.943.9198  ext. 12

 

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In This Issue...
Action needed for the No on I-517 campaign
Grocers oppose I-517
Retailers approach federal harbor maintenance tax reform cautiously
Prop 1, $15 an hour minimum wage, back on ballot
WRA tours "green" office building
Economic recovery remains slow, steady
New health care requirement in effect Oct. 1
Thurston County seeks input on banning plastic shopping bags
How to get small business health care tax credits
Imports hint at strong holiday season
Free business fair set for Sept. 28
Watch video overview of WRA's discount shipping partner
WRA members offered discount to Sept. 19 employment seminar
WRA co-sponsors Seattle chamber networking event
Growers oppose 1-522
Safety tip
Sonntag to be honored this week
Still time to register for Tacoma retail crime conference
Summit scheduled to combat human trafficking

Action needed for the No on I-517 campaign

By Jan Teague, President/CEO

 

Much of our current process for handling petition gatherers at retail locations is in question if I-517 passes.  The Washington Retail Association has taken a position to oppose this November's initiative written by the professional initiative promoter, Tim Eyman, for his paid signature gatherers. 

 

Eyman wants more time to collect signatures, more places on our property to do it and no interference by the courts or legal system.  The initiative is written so that one might think that Eyman's paid signature gatherers were being treated terribly and he wants to protect them.  Our experience is just the opposite.  The customers usually complain about aggressive signature gatherers who upset their shopping experience.

 

This is a grave concern to many of our members who know how hard it is to keep a customer and how easy it is to lose one.  We are talking about a serious financial situation from a marketing perspective.  Retailers spend an enormous amount of money creating customer loyalty. And they have rules if they allow signature gatherers on their property. That all would be in question if I-517 passed.

 

Please go to the website for the No on I-517 Coalition.  We need you to add your name opposing I-517 and to donate to the coalition so we can get the word out.  Every company name and every dollar is important because it sends a message that we understand what is at stake.

 

Please watch my No on I-517 statement on YouTube and forward it on to anyone who you think might be interested.

Grocers oppose I-517

 

Two grocers have co-authored an opinion piece in the Bellingham Herald this week opposing I-517, the November ballot item that would greatly expand access granted to petition gatherers.

 

Authors Kevin Weatherill and Clement Stevenson find I-517 to be one-sided and an invasion of the property rights of retailers that would hurt business. Click here to read the entire commentary.

 

WRA supports the initiative process but opposes I-517 because it would erode the private property rights of retailers while threatening the welfare and safety of shoppers.

 

Visit No on I-517 to learn more about WRA's opposition. Those opposed include Rob McKenna, former Washington State Attorney General; Brian Sonntag, former Washington State Auditor; and the Washington Food Industry Association of independent, family-owned grocers. 

Retailers approach federal harbor maintenance tax reform cautiously

By Mark Johnson, VP Government Affairs

 

U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell last month announced legislation meant to reform the Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT). The tax on imports is used to maintain ports around the country, including the ports of Seattle and Tacoma.  The reform legislation is known as the Maritime Goods Movement Act for the 21st Century.

 

While retailers are supportive of reforming the antiquated and sometimes inequitable harbor tax, they are also cautious about unintended consequences if the reforms aren't done right. 

 

The concern is that if shipping costs increase as a result, retailers will need to look to more affordable ports to transport goods. Washington State ports not only compete amongst themselves but with rival facilities in Canada and Mexico.

 

WRA will work with our national partners to ensure that the reform legislation works for all parties involved and does not create disincentives for retailers to ship through our ports.  The Senate will likely be working on this issue as part of broader tax reform efforts.  Look for updates on this issue as they become available.

Prop 1, $15 an hour minimum wage, back on ballot

WRA asks members to share concerns

 

The state Court of Appeals late last week re-instated the union-backed Prop. 1 back onto the November ballot.

 

WRA and a growing coalition of business organizations oppose the proposal to raise certain minimum wages in the City of SeaTac to $15 an hour and require mandatory sick leave. The current state minimum wage is $9.19 an hour, the nation's highest state minimum wage.

 

The Appeals Court decision overturned a lower court's disqualification of petition signatures that disqualified the proposal from the ballot.

 

WRA opposes Prop. 1 in the SeaTac special election because it would lead to layoffs and trigger price increases that would burden consumers. WRA also believes that spiking payroll expenses would discourage new companies from moving into SeaTac and therefore stunt job growth and opportunity in the city. The Vancouver Columbian agrees, calling the proposal a job killer.

 

The proposal applies primarily to SeaTac airport employees and surrounding support businesses, primarily hotels.

 

Action now swings to building opposition to defeat the proposal.

 

"Our efforts to educate voters have kicked into high gear," said Tammie Hetrick, WRA's VP of Retail Services. "We want our members who would be affected to share their concerns so that voters will understand how Prop. 1 would hurt businesses and eliminate jobs."

 

Contact Hetrick at 360-943-9198, Ext. 13 or at [email protected].

 

Also, visit CommonSenseSeaTac to learn more about the growing opposition to Proposition 1.

 

Source: Washington State Wire, Court of Appeals

WRA tours "green" office building

 

The six-story, pentagon-shaped office building on Seattle's Capitol Hill is billed as "the greenest commercial building in the world."

 

Last week, Jim Szymanski, WRA's Director of Public Affairs, toured the building with members of the state Attorney General's Citizen Advisory Committee. The committee meets periodically during the year to receive updates on state legislation of interest to the Attorney General's Public Counsel division.

 

The Bullitt Center office building is considered a leading worldwide example of an experiment to establish a more environmentally sensitive standard than the Leadership in Energy and Environmental (LEED) design standard exhibited in many current "green" office buildings. The Bullitt Center employs stricter environmental standards in what's called a Living Building Challenge.

 

The University of Washington's Integrated Design Lab and the Cascadia Green Building Council are cooperating in research to document how much energy the Bullitt Center can save. Earlier this year, the building became the new home of The Bullitt Foundation, founded by the Bullitt Family that introduced Seattle to television through KING Broadcasting. Though energy saving results are still being tabulated, the goal is for the building to use about 25 percent of the energy an equivalent, 50,000 square foot building would use under common construction features. The center has begun selling excess energy from its solar collectors to the City of Seattle.

 

Among the features of the Bullitt Center are a solar roof, a system that heats and re-circulates water to heat the building, large triple-pane windows to capture maximum natural light and mechanical blinds on the exterior of the building to keep it cool in warmer weather months. The only parking in the building is for bicycles. Employees are encouraged to walk or cycle to work, use public transportation or rent vehicles from an available fleet reservation network in Seattle. The center was built on a hill to reduce the likelihood that taller buildings would someday block available sunlight.

 

Employees are encouraged to use stairs in a glass-enclosed well rather than the one elevator. The center pays the electric bill for tenants who consume less energy than a negotiated limit. Tenants pay for energy that exceeds their energy usage goals.

 

Under current construction standards, the Center estimates it would cost about 20 percent more per square foot to construct a building outfitted according to Living Building standards.

 

Visit The Bullitt Center for more information including a video presentation.

Economic recovery remains slow, steady

 

Economic recovery in the state is expected to continue at a slow and steady pace, according to the latest state revenue report.

 

A new state revenue forecast is scheduled for announcement the middle of next week. A final revenue report to legislators preparing for the 2014 session is scheduled for Nov. 20.

 

State revenues for the three months ending Aug. 10 finished 3.2 percent higher than expectations in June. Led by a rebound in construction, the economy produced 10,900 new jobs in the three-month period, 3.400 more that the June prediction.

 

Though consumer confidence is improving, homes are becoming less affordable as inventories reduce. Perhaps most telling, the state's economic recovery is not complete, according to the latest report from the Economic Revenue Forecast Council.

 

The state remains 25,000 jobs short of the number of jobs that were filled before the recession began five years ago, the council reported.

 

Click here to review the entire state report.

 

Source: Economic Revenue Forecast Council

New health care requirement in effect Oct. 1

 

To comply with the Affordable Care Act, employers must notify their employees of 2014 health care coverage options beginning on Oct. 1 of this year.

 

A memo outlining this requirement was provided to state retail association executives this week by the Food Marketing Institute.

 

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Labor published frequently asked questions to cover this new federal requirement.  Click here for additional guidance on meeting this new federal requirement.

 

The State of Washington also will begin enrolling qualified customers of its health care exchange on Oct. 1 of this year. Click Healthplanfinder to learn how the state's online health care shopping system is supposed to work. To reach a newly-opened customer support telephone service, dial toll free, 1-855-WAFINDER (1-855-923-4633) or e-mail [email protected].

 

In its memo, FMI also reported about new hours-of-service regulations that affected delivery drivers as of July 1 this year. The reduced allowable driving time from the regulations will require the use of more trucks and trigger higher grocery prices, FMI reported. FMI is urging Congress to approve legislation that would extend limited exemptions from the new regulations for supermarkets, wholesalers and others who transport food products.

 

Contact Ty Kelly at [email protected] with questions or comments about the new driver regulations.

 

Source: Food Marketing Institute

Thurston County seeks input on banning plastic shopping bags

 

Tumwater and Thurston County governments have scheduled public hearings on Sept. 17 and 24 regarding a possible ban on plastic shopping bags.

 

WRA encourages all retailers concerned about a ban to attend the hearings and express your thoughts. WRA favors maintaining choice for consumers by encouraging plastic bag recycling and the use of reusable shopping bags.

 

The hearings:

 

*Tumwater City Hall, Sept. 17, 7 p.m., 555 Israel Road S.W., Tumwater.

Hearing agenda.

 

*Thurston County Courthouse, Sept. 24, 5:30 p.m., 2000 Lakeridge Drive S.W., Olympia.

Hearing agenda

How to get small business health care tax credits

 

The U.S. Small Business Administration and Internal Revenue Service want to help small businesses learn about tax credits they can obtain for offering health care under the Affordable Care Act.

 

An IRS online guide explains how the tax credit works.

 

In short, businesses with fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees and pay average annual wages below $50,000 may qualify for a tax credit up to 35 percent of their premium contribution this year, and a 50 percent credit next year. Qualified businesses also must contribute 50 percent or more toward an employee's self-only health insurance premiums.

 

For further information including help completing necessary forms, call the IRS Help Line, 800-829-4933.

 

You also can learn more at www.sba.gov/healthcare

Imports hint at strong holiday season

 

Retail import volumes heading into the holiday shopping season are increasing following a summer lull, the National Retail Federation reports.

September volumes are expected to finish 5.1 percent higher than the same month last year. NRF's October forecast is for volumes to be up 9 percent compared to the same month a year ago.

 

This suggests, but does not prove, that retailers expect holiday sales increases compared to the same time last year.

 

NRF notes that retail volumes do not total the value of the imported merchandise.

 

"It's too early to predict holiday sales," said Jonathan Gold, NRF's Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy. "But merchants clearly are stocking up."

 

Import volumes were up 1.2 percent the first six months of this year. They are expected to finish the year up 2.5 percent. Click here to review NRF's full import announcement.

Free business fair set for Sept. 28

 

The 17th free Washington Small Business Fair will be held on Saturday, Sept. 28 at Renton Technical College, 3000 N.E. 4th Street in Renton.

 

WRA is again participating with an information table and is co-presenting and planning the fair.

 

The fair annually attracts 400 to 600 existing and budding small businesses where participants can sharpen their skills during a series of seminars covering a broad range of business skills. Parking on campus is free and no advance registration is required.

 

Thirty federal, state and local government agencies and trade associations will share information at the fair. Visit www.bizfair.org for more information including directions or see Facebook at www.facebook.com/bizfair.

Watch video overview of WRA's discount shipping partner

 

WRA's third-party shipping provider, PartnerShip, has released a short video overview of the discount services it offers customers.

 

As a WRA member, you could begin saving up to 27 percent on select FedEx shipping services by joining PartnerShip free of charge.

 

Four other possible advantages of joining PartnerShip include:

 

*Routing management. Based on an analysis of shipments, PartnerShip will recommend the best shippers for particular routes. The recommendation is based on a carrier's cost effectiveness and customer service.

 

*Bill auditing. Vendors such as PartnerShip say they often find invoices with rate errors of up to 10 percent in favor of the freight carrier. Corrections are made before the third-party vendor sends the bill to the customer.

 

*Improved inbound shipping. By relying on vendors to control your inbound shipping, it can be difficult to learn how and when your orders will be shipped and delivered. You can gain that knowledge by arranging shipping through a third party partner such as PartnerShip.

 

*Consolidated invoices. For frequent shippers, this can mean paying only one bill weekly or monthly as opposed to paying for each shipment.

 

Click here to watch the video overview of the company and obtain contact information. Also, visit PartnerShip's website and its improved, separate shipping website. 

WRA members offered discount to Sept. 19 employment seminar

 

The law firm Lane Powell will conduct its annual seminar on employment law and human resources issues on Sept. 19 at the Four Seasons Seattle hotel.

 

The firm is allowing WRA members a discount on the registration fee.  The day-long event is co-sponsored by the Lake Washington Human Resources Association.

 

Attendees will receive an employment law update; learn of impacts from the National Labor Relations Board, impacts from disability and wellness laws and ways to protect sensitive company information and data.

 

Click here to learn more and register. 

WRA co-sponsors Seattle chamber networking event

 

The 9th All Chamber Business After Hours networking event will help from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 19 at The Foundry by Herban Feast in Seattle.

 

WRA is co-sponsoring the event that allows attendees to network with multiple business organizations and chambers of commerce throughout the region. The event drew 430 participants last year.

 

Click here to register and obtain directions. 

Growers oppose 1-522

 

A network of more than 30 growers and agricultural groups across the state has announced its opposition to Initiative 522, which will be on the November election ballot.

 

WRA opposes the initiative because it will confuse consumers, trigger food price increases and add regulations without any compelling reasons.

 

The farming coalition opposed to I-522 concluded there is no compelling reason to require special labeling of foods or to impose higher costs on farmers and consumers. The initiative would require special labeling unique to the state and require some products to be labeled "genetically engineered" when there are no measurable levels of genetically engineered ingredients in the product.

 

Also, I-522 would allow special exemptions to hundreds of other foods when they contain genetically engineered ingredients, the opponents noted.

 

Click here to read the full announcement in opposition to I-522. Click here for more coverage of opposition to the initiative.

Safety tip: (one in a series)

Train employees about hazardous chemicals, it's the law

 

Almost 30 years ago, the state Legislature legally required employers to inform workers of the potential dangers of certain chemicals they might use on the job.

 

The Washington State Legislature enacted the Worker and Community Right-to-Know Act in 1984 and defined a hazardous chemical as any chemical or mixture of chemicals that can hurt people physically or cause health problems.  The rule requires employers to inform and train their employees about the danger of chemicals they may be exposed to during normal working conditions.

 

Members most affected by this would be paint shops, auto body shops or hardware stores that have pesticides and fertilizers.  Make sure that you are instructing employees in those departments with the proper material handling and use of protective gear as needed.  If a spill happens, employees also should know spill cleanup methods and first aid techniques.

 

This also means you need to keep your material safety data sheets current, with easy access for workers.

 

Manufacturers must provide safety sheet information, at no charge, in either electronic or hard copy versions.  L&I will allow electronic versions as long as there is a backup copy (CD's) that could be accessed locally in case your local internet service is down.

 

Here are some helpful links to more information:

 

Worker and Community Right-to-Know Program

 

Questions and Answers: Hazard Communication Standard

 

WRA employs Rick Means as a Safety and Claims Administrator who is available to members to help draw up safety plans and suggest topics for safety meetings. Contact him at 360-200-6454, or [email protected].  

Sonntag to be honored this week

 

Former state Auditor Brian Sonntag will be honored this week for his history of promoting open government to the public.

 

The Washington Coalition for Open Government's honorary breakfast this Friday will be held at the Washington Athletic Club in downtown Seattle.

 

Sonntag will receive the James Madison Award, named after the fourth President of the United States and one of the primary authors of the Bill of Rights. Earlier this year, the National Freedom of Information Coalition and the Society of Professional Journalists honored Sonntag with induction into The State Open Government Hall of Fame.

 

David Seago, retired editorial page editor of the Tacoma News Tribune, also will be honored at the Friday breakfast.

 

For tickets and registration, visit http://www.washingtoncog.org/events.php

Still time to register for Tacoma retail crime conference

 

As of Tuesday this week, 89 seats remained to register for the free retail loss prevention conference to be held in Tacoma next month.

 

The all-day conference will be Oct. 3 at the Tacoma Convention & Trade Center.

  

The crime conference has become an annual event organized by the Washington State Organized Retail Crime Alliance, a network of concerned retailers and law enforcement officials, including WRA.

 

WRA urges all retailers to support this year's conference by attending and putting into practice the knowledge to be gained.

 

Click here to register for the conference. A complimentary lunch will be available. Click here for more background on this trend courtesy of the National Retail Federation. 

Summit scheduled to combat human trafficking

 

An organization dedicated to wiping out human trafficking in the state has scheduled a summit meeting in Seattle in October to begin building a network of business support.

 

The Engage for Impact summit will be held beginning at 8:30 a.m. on October 5 at Seattle Pacific University's Queen Anne Upper Room Gwinn Commons.

 

Click here to register. Go to Washington Engage to learn more. 

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