OLYMPIA, Wash. -- At its current rate, the pay gap for women in Washington state compared to men won't close until 2070. As the new legislative session begins, hopes are high that 2018 is the year lawmakers update the state's equal-pay laws and close that gap much sooner.

On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Labor and Commerce heard public testimony on Senate Bill 5140. It would require companies to have job-related reasons for pay differences - such as education or experience - and access to career opportunities like promotions.

Marilyn Watkins, policy director with the Economic Opportunity Institute, who testified at the Senate hearing, said women working full-time in Washington on average make $14,000 less than men each year.

"That has a big impact, not only on those women, but on their families, on their children's ability to succeed and thrive, and on all of our communities,” Watkins said. "Our whole economy is brought down when women are being paid less."

Watkins added the gap becomes larger over the course of a woman's life, eventually affecting her retirement. And the gap is even greater for women of color.

In each of the past three years, the state Senate has nixed equal-pay bills. But now, under Democratic control, they might have a better chance of passing. The #MeToo movement could add steam to the issue of gender discrimination as well.

SB 5140 would also prohibit retaliation against employees for asking about wages. It would shift the burden of proof in discrimination cases from workers to employers, who would have to demonstrate the business reasons for pay differences.

Watkins said this is about more than the pay gap. She said workplace discrimination is pervasive, and described a well-known scene in which a woman presents an idea and has it ignored, only to hear a man present the same idea and get recognition for it.

"Women's contributions simply seem to be invisible, particularly to men, sometimes also to other women,” she said. "So, I think we really want to start highlighting these kinds of things, making people more conscious of them. And hopefully, that's going to be part of a real cultural change, that'll go along with the legal change to really make a difference."

Wednesday's Senate hearing also included Senate Bill 5555, which would stop an employer from asking about the wage history of a potential employee.


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Nurses in Minnesota and other parts of the country are calling attention to an issue felt by many parts of society - the growing influence of artificial intelligence. Last week, thousands of nurses around the U.S. held rallies, demanding the hospital industry ensure safeguards as AI technology finds its way into care settings.

Chris Rubesch, Minnesota Nurses Association President and cardiac nurse from Duluth, said he and his colleagues aren't opposed to AI innovation, but added the rapid pace of adoption requires deep analysis. He said administrators should know they simply can't replace decision-making by humans in critical moments.

"And it's quite common for the computer program that's already built in to accidentally misinterpret a heart rhythm, right? It happens. Machines aren't perfect," he explained.

Researchers have made progress in seeing AI help diagnose certain patients, such as those being treated for skin cancer. However, the Medical Group Management Association says it should still be a complementary tool, noting ethical considerations regarding patient data privacy.

Hospital systems are increasingly dealing with budget pressures, but Rubesch said finding efficiencies shouldn't come at the expense of patient care.

"Health care can't be boiled down to dollars and cents," he continued." These are human lives, not revenue-generating units."

Rubesch added that bargaining units for roughly 15,000 Minnesota nurses will be negotiating new contracts this spring, and he anticipates artificial intelligence will come up in those discussions.


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As President Donald Trump abandons a promise the U.S. made in Paris nearly a decade ago, organized workers across Colorado are joining forces to address a climate emergency which, according to global scientific consensus, threatens the very biosphere needed to sustain life as we know it.

Nate Bernstein, executive director of Climate Jobs Colorado, said today's economy is not working for all Coloradans. He believes ramping up clean energy production can help reduce income and racial inequality.

"As of 2018, we had the highest gap in equality and wealth in over 100 years," Bernstein pointed out. "One way that we can help bridge that gap is by creating good solid union jobs across the state of Colorado."

Trump has issued executive orders to achieve energy dominance by increasing production of oil, gas and coal. When burned, the fossil fuels release greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. More than two centuries of industrial pollution has led to rising global temperatures and an increase in catastrophic events including massive wildfires, flooding, prolonged drought and polar vortexes.

Bernstein noted a worker-centered roadmap created in partnership with Cornell University would expand opportunities for high-paying careers to all Coloradans, including workers in rural parts of the state where coal-fired power plants are set to retire as cheaper energy sources come online.

"We know that workers that work in those facilities have the skill set and/or can be trained to operate stable energy like geothermal and other sources," Bernstein explained.

The coalition includes the Amalgamated Transit Union, Colorado AFL-CIO, Colorado Building and Construction Trades Council and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Bernstein added they are working on a bill to end a 1943 law requiring a second, supermajority election to form a union.

"We're continuing to build the coalition to make sure that the laws enacted at the Capitol continue to be favorable for working people as well as the environment," Bernstein emphasized. "All while assuring that we close the gap on racial and economic inequity within our state."


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The Service Employees International Union is joining the AFL-CIO, a move both groups said will make it easier for more workers to unionize.

SEIU is the nation's largest union of health care workers, janitors and security officers, among others. Combined with the AFL-CIO, a federation of more than 60 national and international labor unions, the group now has 15 million members.

Alan Dubinsky, communications director for SEIU Local 49, representing Oregon and Southwest Washington, said the two unions have a history of working together and they share many of the same values.

"We want to unite people across class lines no matter where they live, no matter the color of their skin, who they love, so we can stand up to billionaire interest and corporate greed," Dubinsky explained.

Research shows although only one in 10 workers is currently part of a union, more than 60 million people said they would join a union if they could. In a statement, the AFL-CIO said it will fight for new rules to strengthen the rights of workers to organize and collectively bargain.

Recent polls showed unions have near record-high favorability, with 67% of Americans approving of them. Last year had some major wins for labor, including The United Auto Workers, unions representing airline workers, and several Hollywood entertainment unions. Dubinsky noted rights for workers cannot be won alone.

"As working people, we all want the same things," Dubinsky contended. "We want jobs that are going to pay us enough to live. We want accessible, affordable, quality health care for ourselves, for our loved ones. "

When workers organize, research shows wages increase and working conditions improve. In 2024, petitions to form or join a union more than doubled from the previous year.