There are so many things employees can speak out at their own job. The laptop or messaging app that your office uses may not be your phone.
For a while, decisions regarding the use of technology in the workplace have been left to the management of public workers in Washington. The law was passed in 2002. But now, some lawmakers want to pass the exemption that allows public sector employees to negotiate one broad and ever-changing technology, artificial intelligence.
This is a resource that answers some basic questions about what AI is.
In both the House and Senate bills, lawmakers say they want to make this change to give workers a table seat.
“Public sector workers, unions don’t want to stop AI. They just want to have a say in how it’s being implemented,” said Senator Lisa Pershley, the lead sponsor of the group. . House Bill 1622.
The bill moved further along this session with the companion bill. Senate Bill 5422sitting on the committee.
Parshley and others argued that when laws were passed that gave executive decision-making power over the use of technology in the workplace, the technology it referred to was stagnant equipment such as pagers and flip phones. It’s there.
With so many possibilities in AI now, lawmakers want to ensure workers have a say in how technology can interact and impact their work.
Many unions support the bill. Public Sector AI is included in the Washington State Labor Council Legislative Priorities for 2025. The council states, “AI is unprecedented in its size, impact and capabilities. Its use must be negotiable to protect workers.”
Chelica Carter, secretary treasurer of the Washington State Labor Council and part of the state; Artificial Intelligence Task Force On behalf of workers, he shared his support for the House bill during a hearing in the House of Representatives Committee on February 5th.
“In the end, it will benefit workers, public employers, and people in the state. “The best experts of all that can help harm our state services will provide them People, workers.”
In December 2024, the impact of artificial intelligence on the Washington state’s workforce Report,Workgroup recommended input and feedback from employees to reduce the potential negative impact of generated AI.
However, the workgroup did not agree with the scope of collaboration in decision-making. Workers’ representatives said employees are involved in all generative AI decisions and negotiating everything from data standards to training programs. However, Washington National Human Resources Department said employers should disclose decisions on generative AI, and workers could potentially submit demand to dig into it.
At the Feb. 5 hearing, Carter and others shared concerns that state agencies could choose to replace workers with AI.
But it’s not just the possibility of job exchanges that drive the change.
During the hearing, Electronics Engineer, Web Developer and Former IT Administrator Joey Hicklin said that workers are best at understanding how these data interact and inform these tools. He said he was in a position.
“Without direct opinions from frontline workers, agencies are likely to implement AI tools that generate inaccurate outputs, ultimately eroding public trust in government agencies.” said Hicklin.
But not everyone supports the House bill.
“The Washington Urban Association has been around for a long time,” said Candice Bock, a native of the Washington Urban Association. It is a nonprofit that represents the Washington city before the state legislature.
Bock said he would like to see the decision remain at the city management level. She said more negotiations will increase the costs of the city government.
Bock also said that civil servants already have the ability to negotiate what affects wages, working conditions and hours.
Depending on whether the current law provides opportunities for negotiation, Pershley pointed to the 2002 law.
“Management is specifically given technology, and management may interpret AI as part of the technology, meaning it cannot be negotiated,” Parshley said.
That seems to be true, according to Katy Durkin, a lobbyist for civil servants in Washington, a coalition of Washington Employees. In recent negotiations with the nation, Durkin said the state would not discuss AI issues with employees because of the law.
“This law was their excuse whenever state unions tried to talk about it at the negotiation table,” Durkin said.
She said that it won’t change unless the law exists, but it advocates giving civil servants the same empower that private employees have. There are no technical exemptions for private companies to negotiate.
“This means that civil servants who have dedicated their lives to serving Washingtonians are far more vulnerable to the potential impacts of AI in the workplace than our private sector counterparts. I will,” Durkin said.
There are ways state agencies are already using AI to help their jobs, like the Washington Department of Natural Resources. Use AI to detect wildfires.
This is one way AI can support the Washington workforce. However, Durkin means there should be an exemption for employees to negotiate concerns such as increased workloads, the possibility of tracking employee data, or the cost and ethics of developing development programs. .
“If we wait until it’s really clear what that will turn out later, it’s too late to preempt unintended consequences,” Durkin said.
