This Week in the Harbor

October 2, 2023

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• Membership Luncheon

• News & Opportunities

• Chamber Calendar

• What's Happening in the Harbor?

• Sponsorship

Congrats to these amazing members!

Congrats to these amazing members on being featured in The Seattle Times Best in The PNW!

Best in the PNW is the culmination of months of regional nominations and voting to determine gold, silver and bronze winners in 282 categories. We recognize the hard work and dedication of our members and want to congratulate them!

Head over to BestinthePNW.com to read more!

Welcome New Members!

AJ ENT is a residential and commercial painting and staining contractor. They treat every project like it is their own home and exceed expectations!

Gig Harbor Stamp & Sign is a professional mobile notary public business dedicated to providing convenient and reliable notarization services right at your doorstep. With their expertise and commitment to exceptional customer service, they ensure that your important documents are properly notarized in a timely manner. They specialize in general notary work and estate planning.

News & Opportunities

City of Gig Harbor Announces new Interactive Parking Map

The City of Gig Harbor has created an interactive parking map. To view the map and parking locations visit: https://gigharbor.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=4feb81499d4047c49a247763afa4680d

City of Gig Harbor Business Listening Session - Nov 1

Time: 4:00-5:30pm

Location: Council Chambers at City Hall

The city is launching on a process improvement mission, and they want to hear from Businesses on the challenges they have experienced when working with the city departments and how the experience might be improved. Of course, hearing what is working well is also appreciated so they know what processes to leave alone. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend this important meeting. To set the expectation, this is a listening session and not meant to be a 2-way conversation. They might ask clarifying questions if needed, however those are rare.

Being in person and sharing your story is very powerful, so we want to encourage you to attend. If you are not able to attend, your story is still very important and ask that you write up your experience and email it to Miriam Battson ([email protected]), and she will share it on your behalf. 

State proposes 4.9% increase in workers' comp rates for 2024

Costs going up: The state Department of Labor and Industries has proposed a 4.9% average rate increase for workers' compensation insurance in 2024. As in past years, AWB warns that the proposed rate increase will only add to the rising list of expenses for employers. 

• The proposal is an average rate increase across industry sectors, and some businesses may see a rate increase as high as 20% and others may get no increase. 

Employer’s perspective: “This may seem like a small increase when viewed alone, but it follows multiple years of rate hikes," AWB President Kris Johnson said. "Over the last two years, workers’ comp rates have increased nearly 10% in Washington while other states continue to lower their rates."

• Washington state has the nation’s highest workers’ compensation benefits paid per worker, according to the 2023 Competitiveness Redbook.

Giving input: Public hearings on the proposed rate increases will be held Oct. 26, 27 and 31. Final rates will be adopted on Nov. 30 and go into effect on the first day of 2024. L&I has more.

Artificial Intelligence — a workforce threat or solution?

SEP 28, 2023 | WRITTEN BY WR COMMUNICATIONS

| INSIDE WASHINGTON RETAIL

Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, artificial general intelligence (AGI) has been front-page news and a conversational topic. AI has already been widely adopted in numerous forms, including auto-correct and Roomba vacuums. Artificial general intelligence (AGI), such as ChatGPT, has the potential to multiply productivity and perform tasks that currently require advanced learning and complex thinking skills. AGI’s known and unknown aspects have sparked fear and excitement among workers, business leaders, and policymakers.

At the AWB Policy Summit in Spokane last week, Zack Kass, an AI advisor and speaker, delivered a promising future for the potential and limitations of AGI. Kass spoke of leading scientific breakthroughs to cure cancer and Alzheimer’s and amazing productivity gains that can enhance job satisfaction. The same week, Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook cast cautious optimism on AGI’s potential to turbocharge worker productivity and impact economic policies. AGI could be a timely answer to slow productivity gains and the long-term labor crisis addressed in the Wall Street Journal this week.

However, the transition to using AGI should require extraordinary care due to public perceptions of potential threats, which may prompt unnecessary limitations to AGI’s progress. Kass cautioned that progress on AGI is not only an economic issue but also a national security issue. China is proactively investing in AGI development, while the West’s efforts are collaborative among several private organizations. Policymakers at state and federal levels are beginning to respond to public perception and AGI’s potential.

In a speech before the AFL-CIO Convention in 1960, President John F. Kennedy spoke of the revolution of automation as one that “carries the dark menace of industrial dislocation, increasing unemployment, and deepening poverty. We now stand at a new historical dawn as our world faces a “hyper-quantum” leap forward. AGI is demonstrating exponential growth and opening an unforeseen future, just as Kennedy launched the space race to compete with the USSR in 1962, which delivered many collateral innovations to benefit industry and Americans’ day-to-day lives.

WR’s government affairs team is working diligently to stay informed on these topics and listening to members’ concerns to help steer a smooth transition on AGI technologies and policies.

Advertise in the Profile Magazine/ Visitor Information and Relocation Guide! Contact Janet Steiner at [email protected] to purchase an ad now!

Chamber Calendar

Join our weekly Public Affairs Forum! This week we will be at a new location, and registration is required to attend. No Zoom option for this meeting will be available as this meeting is in-person only. Latitude 47 will be catering, so RSVPs are appreciated.

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What's Happening in the Harbor?

To feature your upcoming event in our newsletter, please send any marketing material and event details before 10:00 a.m. on Mondays to Katie Johnson, at [email protected]. Thank you.

Office Hours

The Chamber office will now be open on weekends!

Saturday 10:00am-4:00pm

Sunday 10:00am-4:00pm

Sponsorship

BENEFITS OF SPONSORSHIP

Maximize your company’s exposure through sponsorships

Just as membership is not a one size fits all, our sponsorship opportunities offer you a choice for your engagement. 

Sponsoring events and programs gives your company:

·   Publicity and brand recognition you need in a positive and receptive environment

·   A unique form of advertising

·   Access to new business relationships

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