Opinion ID: 2807507
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Health insurance premiums are wages

Text: In the absence of a specific statutory definition, words in a statute are given their common law or ordinary meaning. State v. Chester, 133 Wn.2d 15, 22, 940 P.2d 1374 (1997). In determining whether the health insurance premiums paid by the county constitute wages under the WRA, we look to our recent decision in LaCoursiere, in which we held that wages encompass both payment for work performed and 'moneys due by reason of employment.' LaCoursiere, 181 Wn.2d at 741-43 (internal quotation marks omitted) (quoting Flower, 127 Wn. App. at 34). Liberally construing the WRA, 5 Kitsap County Deputy Sheriff's Guild v. Kitsap County, No. 89344-6 (Wiggins, J., dissenting) we construed wages using Websters' broad definition of wage to include not only salaries but also bonuses, once paid for work performed. /d. at 741. Applying the same reasoning to health care premiums, we have also explicitly held that health care premiums are wages under Washington's Industrial Insurance Act, Title 51 RCW. See RCW 51.08.178; Cockle v. Oep'tofLabor& Indus., 142 Wn.2d 801, 823, 16 P.3d 583 (2001) (recognizing that health care coverage is frequently a significant part of an employee's compensation package and should be considered a wage). Our decision in Cockle comports with the dictionary definition of wage, which includes amounts paid by the employer for insurance. WEBSTER's THIRD NEW INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY 2568-69 (2002). Therefore, I would hold that health care premiums are wages under the WRA. The record is clear that the health insurance premiums at issue here were wages because they were paid for work performed. The deputies' wages were established in the 2008-2009 CBA. The terms of that CBA required the County to pay the entirety of the deputies' health insurance premiums and 90 percent of the deputies' dependents' premiums. After the CBA expired, the County was required to maintain the same level of existing wages, hours, and other conditions of employment under the provisions of the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act (PECBA), chapter 41.56 RCW. RCW 41.56.470. The deputies worked with the reasonable expectation that the County would continue to pay their salaries and health insurance premiums at the statutorily prescribed level; indeed, for three years this is exactly what happened. 6 Kitsap County Deputy Sheriff's Guild v. Kitsap County, No. 89344-6 (Wiggins, J., dissenting)