09/23/08 L&I proposes workers' comp rate hike for 2009

Washington Ag September 23, 2008 The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries has proposed a three percent increase in 2009 workers' compensation rates. The average increase for agricultural classifications would be five percent. The largest increases in agriculture would be nine percent for machine harvest vegetable farms and eight percent for orchards. Dairy farms and greenhouse and mushroom farms would see a one percent drop in rates. L&I communications manager Tiffany Scheer says the department tried to hold the line on rate increases. Scheer: "Our goal here was really to propose rates that continue to be stable and predictable especially during these difficult economic times. And we really think we struck that balance with this modest increase." L&I says the two biggest factors that influence rates are workers' wages which were up five percent last year and health care costs, which are estimated to increase next year by 5.5 percent. Final 2009 rates will be adopted in late November following six public hearings. The first will be October 21st in Spokane at nine a.m. at the Spokane Airport Ramada. Also on the October 21st is a hearing in Kennewick at 2 p.m. at the L&I Office. A hearing will be held in Bellingham October 22nd at the Bellingham Quality Inn at 2 p.m. I'm Bob Hoff.