2024
Quarter 2 Coming At You - Workers Have Been Busy!
Explore our updates for the inside scoop!
2024 is off to an exhilarating start! Let's dive in and keep the momentum going with Fair Work Center and Working Washington!
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On May 10,
barely a week after celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Fight For $15 for workers across industries, and Washington workers' successful fight to raise our wages, our team at Working Washington and Fair Work Center had something else to celebrate: a nomination at MLK Labor's "Labor Oscars!" We were nominated for an Ally of the Year Award in recognition of our work to be strong leaders and partners in the broader labor movement's tireless fight for better pay and protections for workers. It was such an honor to be recognized for our collective work, and particularly to receive recognition for our fight to raise the minimum wage across King County for gig workers and to win back millions of stolen wages for workers across industries. Pictured here are some workers and staff from Working Washington and Fair Work Center at the Labor Oscars celebration, representing the broader teams and Worker Leaders who make powerful labor wins possible!
Gig Workers & Minimum Wages in Seattle!
Dear Supporters and Advocates,
It's been an eventful period for our efforts to support gig workers and push for minimum wage and protections for gig workers in Seattle. Here’s a glimpse into what’s been happening:
We’re thrilled to announce that over the past few months our organizing alongside workers has been highlighted in an op-ed by the Seattle Times, a significant step forward in amplifying our message on fair pay laws. Recently, one of our gig workers shared a heartfelt testimonial at Seattle city council: "Seattle Labor Standards and Pay Up was my lifeline during a desperate time. They helped me get fair compensation, address damages, and even received an apology letter. Every mention of my name now commands attention."
Danielle Alvarado, Fair Work Center & Working Washington Executive Director, encapsulated our mission perfectly and continues to remind us of the importance of listening to workers' voices to shape a better economic landscape in Seattle. Here’s a video of her speaking at our May Day press conference – alongside our partners at SEIU Local 6, MLK Labor, and the Mayor of Seattle. "Time and time again, we have shown that workers know better than anyone what needs to change about the economy. Listening to them is how we ensure every Seattle job is a good job. Without a doubt, there's more work that we still need to do, but looking over the last decade, I am confident that with strong partnership collaboration between worker organizations, businesses and local elected officials that we will continue to show the way for the rest of the country."
Our collaborative efforts over the past decade with worker organizations, labor unions, and local officials have not only set a local precedent but also set the standard for national efforts towards a more equitable economic system. Across states like New York, California, and Minnesota, gig workers are joining forces against exploitative practices in the gig economy, despite facing precarious conditions and minimal protections. For national protections, click here. To learn more about recent council proposals on local ordinances and their impact on our community’s workers click here.
In the past few months, our Pay Up Campaign has been actively engaging with new gig workers, educating one another about our rights and empowering one another to participate in organizing efforts. Our recent drop-in sessions continue to empower workers to enforce our rights. Interested in joining a drop in session? Sign up at Pay Up Form.
To stay connected and show your support: Follow us on Instagram @workingwa for updates and opportunities to get involved. Are you a gig worker looking to get involved? You may also connect with a Working Washington / PayUp organizer by submitting this form: Pay Up Form.
Domestic Workers Update! - The Nanny Collective:
The Nanny Collective has been broadening our ongoing efforts to advocate for domestic workers' rights.
Our outreach has expanded significantly in the neighborhoods of King County. Throughout the second quarter, our efforts reached over 70+ caregivers, connecting with nannies in playgrounds, libraries, and community events. With flyers in hand and engaged in heartfelt conversations, we explored the challenges workers encounter, nurturing a shared sense of unity and passionately advocating for transformative change.
Amidst shifting dynamics where fewer families seek nannies but demand remains high, we've seen a concerning trend of lower pay rates. Yet, our collective voice grows stronger as domestic workers across the city speak up for our rights, pushing for better benefits despite ongoing negotiations and restrictions.
Our victories have been meaningful: defending a worker whose contract rights were violated, ensuring fair treatment regarding termination and overtime. Additionally, advocating successfully for severance pay for two members has set a new standard for contract enforcement within our collective.
Community spirit soared at our Easter celebrations, where 27 workers came together for food, music, and educational sessions on labor laws. In South Seattle, our outreach efforts engaged 22 individuals, enriching each other’s understanding and empowerment within our rights.
Our bi-weekly meetings remain a vital pillar, convening 35+ domestic workers leaders in each session to exchange insights, provide mutual support, and strategize around expanding domestic worker protections across Washington state.
Mark your calendars for July 1st, 2024, when we'll gather with the Domestic Workers' coalition and OLS to celebrate the 5th Anniversary of the Domestic Workers' , Bill of Rights. It's a momentous occasion that underscores our commitment to advancing rights and recognition for all caregivers.
Our focus includes continued expansion of our collaboration with partners: Casa Latina, Ala Garifuna, and CPD, we're charting a course towards a Statewide bill that will safeguard the rights of domestic workers in homes. This strategic planning continues to build on the foundation for a cohesive approach in expanding advocacy efforts statewide.
We are also excited to announce we will be launching a nannycollective.org website – stay tuned for the release date. We invite you to join us in this journey of empowerment. Your support ensures we can continue providing resources, advocacy updates, and opportunities for community engagement.
Join us in supporting the Nanny Collective today. Your involvement is more than an action — it's a lifeline for those who deserve fair treatment and respect at work.
Restaurant Workers’ Updates!
On July 8th, we will be hosting a social event aimed at connecting workers across the restaurant industry. Join us for our Service Industry social where we will share Know Your Rights materials and continue discussions on prevalent industry issues. It also will serve as an opportunity for our new restaurant worker committee to build relationships and to identify/integrate more worker leaders into our collective efforts. RSVP
Throughout the past few months, our campaign's base-building teams worked closely with Restaurant Workers United to establish a dedicated worker planning committee. This committee is pivotal in laying the groundwork for an extensive base-building initiative launching within the next few months.
Our legal and organizing teams collaborated closely, conducting focused intake sessions with restaurant workers to assess legal options and develop targeted strategies addressing industry specific challenges.
These efforts led to the identification of potential government enforcement actions against a Mexican restaurant in south King County, exposing ongoing violations such as unfair pay, lack of breaks, and unpaid overtime. This highlights our commitment to ensuring fair treatment and creating equitable opportunities for all workers.
Reflecting on their involvement, one participant from the planning committee shared, "Being part of this group dedicated to affecting change together has been incredibly motivating and inspiring."
Looking forward to the summer, stay tuned for an upcoming Spanish-focused social event tailored for our community in South King County. This event aims to unite and raise awareness across diverse groups, strengthening our collective impact.
For more information or to get involved, reach out to Lexy at Lexy@workingwa.org or Roca at Roca@fairworkcenter.org.
And… don’t forget to sign onto our open letter demanding tip-pooling transparency!
Central Washington Update! - Let’s Talk Agricultural & Legal Wins!
Centro Chinampa celebrated its 2-year anniversary in June, marking a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to serving the community with unwavering dedication and passion over the past few months. At Centro Chinampa, our mission remains steadfast in providing vital services for community organizing, building grassroots support, and offering legal consultations to uphold the rights of workers. Under Angie’s & Daniel's leadership, we have conducted direct assessments addressing wage disputes, issues with rest and meal breaks, discriminatory practices, and instances of racism in the workplace.
For Columbia Fruit Packers, formerly known as Frosty - bodega, the future is uncertain as the facility faces potential closure due to questionable workplace practices. This situation weighs heavily on the shoulders of over 200 workers, many of whom are immigrants and primary providers for their households. These workers have been vocal about their concerns regarding these bodegas since May of last year. For more details on our agriculture closures, including how these closures worsen already-limited job opportunities and increase discrimination over the next few months, you can find additional information at Yakima apple packing plant to close, Fruit Packers in Yakima raise concerns.
In the midst of these hardships, workers at Columbia Fruit Packers endure ongoing injustices, including language barriers, fears related to documentation, and violations of their rights. Amidst these challenges facing Columbia Fruit Packers and the broader agricultural community over the summer, Centro Chinampa’s Fair Work Legal Clinic stands as a beacon of support. Dedicated to defending the rights of workers, our bilingual team and expert interpreters ensure that all voices are heard. Partnered with WAISN and One America, we offer free civil legal aid, education, legal advice, and representation of workers in employment law cases. Together, we advocate tirelessly for justice and equality in the workplace, uniting our community to build a brighter future for all.
Recently, we introduced "Cafecito office hours," a welcoming space where workers can gather, share experiences, and discuss workplace challenges in a supportive environment. This time and space not only foster solidarity but also empower workers to address issues directly, ensuring our voices are heard and our rights are protected.
Together, we are building a more resilient and united community committed to justice and equity for all. Learn more about how you can support our work in Yakima here
Quarter 1: We have updates!
It has been an exciting start to 2024 for Fair Work Center and Working Washington!
Let’s get into it!
Don’t want to run through an update email but still want to support?
Gig-Workers & Minimum Wages in Seattle!
In January of 2024, a first-in-nation law went into effect in Seattle, WA, a law fought for and passed by gig worker-led WW campaign, ‘PayUp’! For the first time in Seattle, big corporations like Uber, Instacart, and Doordash were expected to pay gig workers a minimum wage!
This sounds great, right? Well, the apps didn’t think so! They’re choosing to charge customers huge fees so they can keep raking in millions in record profit, just like they did last year and the year before. They are using all the big business political tactics (like imposing outrageous new fees) and spreading deliberate misinformation (like claiming workers now make $26.40) to argue that raising wages is bad for our economy, all while complaining loudly and publicly that they can't afford to pay minimum wage.
In response, gig worker leaders who have been organizing with PayUp came together to show resilience against the harsh responses of the gig companies and the ultimate harm they were causing to workers and the industry. Read more about Melbourn Money Bags and gig worker response here.
Despite these huge corporations with billions of dollars to back them and their misinformation campaigns. Gig workers continue to fight for fair wages, deactivation protections, paid sick and safe time, and other workplace protections! And it's not just happening in Washington State; Across the country, gig workers everywhere are demanding to be recognized and protected like workers in so many other industries.
In places like New York, California, and Minnesota, gig workers are coming together across the states to challenge the gig companies' corporate model, which requires exploiting their workers' labor to make a profit. Gross!
Gig workers are saying enough is enough! They continue to need our support in Seattle, WA, as a fairly new city council is preparing to decide on the minimum pay standard. These decisions will affect the thousands of gig workers in our city, and we need your help to ensure that these protections and standards are not walked back under the guise of corporate interest and greed - Get involved today!
Are you or someone you know as a gig worker interested in joining the gig worker movement? Submit this form so that a Working Washington organizer can reach out!
Domestic Workers Update! - The Nanny Collective:
The Fair Work Center Nanny Collective is hitting the ground running this year! In the first quarter, we continued our regular monthly meetings with the Nanny Collective, welcoming several new members! In these meetings, we talk about domestic worker rights in Seattle and Washington, including information about pay, wage theft, Paid Sick and Safe Time, and protections from workplace discrimination and retaliation. Additionally, nanny members share questions about work, pay rates, contracts, and negotiating with their employers. These meetings are a great space for folks to share experiences together and build power within the industry.
Over the past few months, we have also been in the early stages of talking to members about campaigning for a statewide domestic worker bill of rights. Our conversations focus on identifying Priority issues for the members and answering questions members have about the legislative Process. We will continue to build on this over this year, working with partner organizations to bring in workers across the domestic worker industry.
We also hosted several professional development opportunities for the Nanny Collective, including CPR training in January and a tax workshop hosted by the National Domestic Workers Alliance. These additional workshops support our members in building knowledge and skills that encourage better work conditions and higher-paying jobs.
Through strategic partnerships at the state and national level, the Nanny Collective has been on the frontlines of the Domestic Worker movement. On Tuesday, Jan 17th - the impact of our organizing was highlighted in the New York Times! WOW! The opinion piece follows workers' organizing nationwide, starting with our campaign in Seattle and our first in the nation Labor Standards Board for Domestic Workers. Standards boards are incredibly exciting because They are new ways for workers to continue improving conditions across their industry rather than negotiating one city or business at a time.
Its spring! The Nanny will be in full swing in quarter two, providing outreach, education, and community-building events; the Nannies hosted their first big gathering in quarter one, their start of the year consilio! We are so excited to continue strategizing around the up-and-coming fights for a Washington State Domestic Worker Bill of Rights!
The Nanny Collective is actively recruiting new members and continues to host monthly meetings! If you want to learn more about The Collective or support the organizing led by Washington Domestic Workers, click the button below!
Restaurant Workers’ Update!
At the end of 2023, the Fair Work Center/Working WA team of restaurant worker organizers led some amazing and newly envisioned workshops on workplace rights in the restaurant industry in Seattle!
During the first three months of 2024, our team has been working with a network of potential worker leaders who are building out the larger infrastructure for a campaign plan that will reach across the food/beverage service industry to build larger power for leadership development and worker organizing. A great example of this was the first-ever KYR held with a group of Bikini Baristas in Seattle! A special shout out to our Legal Team & Organizing Team for integrating education and relationship-building with workers in our priority industries!
We are still in the process of building trust and relationships with workers, as well as power mapping, research, and issue analysis! We will host additional KYRs in Quarter 2 and hope you can join!
Here is what a worker said about the last KYR: “I left the restaurant workers’ rights workshop feeling inspired. Not simply because I learned a few things but because I felt the seeds of change in the room. Despite differences in tenure, position, and language, we shared stories of common struggle—harassment, stolen tips, denial of breaks, insecure scheduling, unsafe working conditions.”
If you’re a restaurant worker, share this with your coworkers. Stay tuned to hear more about this campaign, come to the next workshop, and bring a friend. A better restaurant industry is possible. Let’s make it happen!” - reach out to Lexy@workingwa.org or Roca@fairworkcenter.org
And.. don’t forget to sign onto our open letter demanding tip-pooling transparency!
Central Washington Update! - Let’s Talk Agriculture!
Over the past few months, FWC’s Yakima office has been building on wins from 2023 to strengthen worker organizing in the agricultural industry. Field workers who won a $200,000 settlement from Borton last fall after experiencing discrimination based on race and Indigeneity, gender, and age are now engaged in media training with our comms team so they can share their stories in the community. This group is committed to continuing the fight to improve working conditions in the Yakima Valley, and they hope the media coverage will inspire other workers to assert their rights while increasing pressure on employers to respect them.
A current bodega worker at Borton also joined this month’s media training. FWC is supporting her in a sexual harassment and retaliation complaint, as well as a parallel workplace organizing effort. She reported to the field workers about Borton’s implementation of many terms they won in the settlement, including mandatory anti-discrimination training, worker participation in health and safety meetings, and a new anonymous complaint hotline. In exchange, the field workers provided encouragement and information about what to expect from the complaint process.
In these and other ways, FWC facilitates relationship-building between Yakima packing shed and field workers who share common struggles and exploitative employers. Another critical space for community-building is FWC’s clinics with partner organizations WAISN and VAS, where workers learn and share knowledge about their employment and immigration rights. We held our February clinic on Facebook Live to make it accessible to workers in rural areas outside of Yakima, with another clinic scheduled for May in Mattawa.
FWC is supporting another group of bodega workers who suffered retaliatory firings in August after complaining to their supervisor about 108-degree heat in the warehouse. We recently filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board on their behalf and prepared the workers for interviews with the investigator.
Support us today, build a stronger movement, and invest in the community!