Dali Ramos is a mother of five who works in Yakima. She is fighting for $15 so that her family and her children can have a better start in life.
Read MoreWorking Washington is hiring an Online Organizer
We are seeking a creative, talented, and ambitious person to lead the development and expansion of an aggressive online organizing program which can substantially grow our movement and build the power of workers in our state
Read MoreUber Forgets to Be Innovative, Uses Same Old Excuse for Retaliating Against Driver Who Spoke Out About Low Pay
Hmmmm. This story from San Francisco will sound awfully familiar to anyone who read about Seattle Uber driver Takele Gobena, who was kicked off Uber's system in August the same day he spoke out at a press conference about Uber's low wages. From the San Francisco Examiner this week:
An Uber driver who critiqued the company’s top-brass at a highly publicized event now tells the San Francisco Examiner he’s facing backlash from the tech company.
Read MoreWorking Washington Member Darrion Sjoquist: "I’m a Second-Generation Starbucks Barista. And I Want a Fair Workweek."
Check out Darrion Sjoquist's essay in Medium.com on why he and other baristas are calling on Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz to sit down and meet with them to find solutions to scheduling issues.
Read MoreNo, this has nothing to do with the gum wall
At about 7:00 in the morning yesterday, coffee and fast food workers kicked off a statewide day of action by forming a human clock outside Pike Place Market, chanting “It’s Our Time” and calling for reliable schedules and access to hours. An LA Times reporter asked me if it had something do with the last days of the gum wall, but other than that the message seemed to get out pretty clearly.
Read MoreIf the Washington Restaurant Association is truly prepared to push for a statewide $15 minimum wage…
"If the restaurant association is truly prepared to push for a statewide $15 minimum wage without loopholes, carve-outs, or subminimum exceptions for their industry, let’s make it happen. But if it’s a stalling tactic, it’s not going to work."
Read MoreOn Election Night, Washington’s big business groups are running scared
Even before all the elections have been decided, one thing is already clear: big business interests are running scared. All throughout the election season, lobby groups like the Chamber of Commerce and the Washington Restaurant and Hospitality Association have been desperately retreating in the face of a statewide movement which has transformed the debate over living wages and workers rights.
Read MoreIf you had 1 minute to tell a politician in Washington State why we need higher wages...
What would you say?
Tell us in a one-minute video:
The movement is growing
It's time for big corporations, the business lobby, and politicians to recognize: The fight for a $15 minimum wage and workers’ rights is spreading across Washington State.
This year, we saw workers in Seattle get their first raises on the way to $15, workers in cities from Olympia to Yakima built movements that are demanding action, and new groups of people have joined the fight for higher wages and better working conditions—Starbucks baristas, Uber drivers, college students and professors, restaurant servers, workers at dollar stores, gas stations, and more.
Let's make our voices heard!
As Election Day comes & goes, we need to make all the politicians in our state understand that workers should be at the top of their agenda in the year ahead.
YOU CAN HELP:
Take one minute right now to add your voice to the fight, and let politicians hear us. Most politicians don't know what it's like to live paycheck to paycheck, or the kinds of things we do to make ends meet. They don't have to go to work when they're sick or stay by the phone to be ready for an on-call shift. Their schedules don't change at a moment's notice or at their bosses' whim.
If you had one minute to tell a politician in Washington State why we need higher wages, what would you say?
Olympia, it's the data
In Olympia, a majority of workers employed in retail and hospitality are paid less than $15/hour. Together, these two industries employ a combined 19.1% of the workforce — a bigger share than government alone does. These industries also have high shares of part-time work.
Read More"I think he wants to go to Disneyland."
Crystal Thompson has worked at Domino’s for five years. She is a mother and shares an apartment with a roommate. Crystal has been on strike multiple times and has spoken to elected leaders and the press. She became a leader in the fight for $15 in Seattle.
Read More