Dunleavy vetoed a warehouse worker protection bill sponsored by Rep. George Rauscher, R-Sutton. The bill would have safeguarded laborers by requiring written work quotas and reasonable breaks. It would have applied to significant warehouses with 100 or more employees. The Alaska Legislature enacted it earlier this year with bipartisan support, suggesting a pervasive concern for the welfare of laborers.
Rauscher, who had previously worked in a warehouse, contended that the measure facilitated employee transparency and impartiality. He believed HB 88 was necessary to prevent employers from imposing excessively high quotas that could prevent workers from taking essential breaks, such as lavatory breaks. He personally experienced the challenges faced by warehouse laborers.
Dunleavy vetoed the bill on August 29, citing concerns that the measure would overregulate Alaskan enterprises. In his veto message, he elucidated that HB 88 would generate excessive regulation, which could impede economic opportunities and business development. The veto message was not published until the following week.
Even though HB 88 would have only impacted a small number of large warehouses, such as Amazon’s new facility. However, the number of such warehouses is increasing, particularly in the vicinity of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Amazon was previously criticized for forcing employees to skip bathroom breaks due to demanding work quotas.
Rauscher acknowledged the governor’s authority but expressed disappointment that Dunleavy vetoed the warehouse worker protection bill. He proposed other ways to solve the problem but was uncertain if there was sufficient legislative backing to override the veto. Since taking office in 2018, Dunleavy has continued to block bills protecting warehouse workers, but lawmakers have never overturned one of his decisions.
This news story was originally published by Alaska Beacon.
