Domestic workers would gain new protections under Washington bill

The legislation would set new workplace standards for housekeepers, nannies, and others.

Ana Rosa Bello broke down in tears as she recalled the repeated abuse she has endured as a housekeeper in Seattle. 

Bello described wage theft, discrimination, threats to her and her family, withheld documents, and being unfairly fired. But, as a single mother, she said she’s had no choice but to keep working and endure these conditions to provide for her family. 

As it stands, the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act, a federal law, excludes domestic, farm, and hospitality workers. Their labor has been devalued because the majority of these workers were people of color, immigrants, and women, said Danielle Alvarado, executive director of Fair Works Center. 

“When you have really entrenched ideas about ‘Is the work important? Is it really work?’ it’s part of how you can end up in a situation where mistreating certain workers and not giving them the same respect that you would give other workers can become normalized,” Alvarado said. 

In 2018, Seattle became the first city in the country to adopt legislation that’s similar to the bill now pending in the Legislature. It was implemented in late 2019. Months later, the pandemic hit and further complicated conditions for domestic workers. 

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Eater: How Seattle’s Boosted Minimum Wage Is Helping Restaurant Workers

“This is the very first winter that I haven’t been incredibly strapped for money or overworking myself”

Brianna Martinez has worked in hospitality for years. “I’ve been a barista, a smoothie maker, a yogurt shop person, a barback, a hostess,” she says. But it wasn’t until last year, when she was working as a bartender on Capitol Hill, that she realized that under the rules for tipped minimum wage, tips aren’t on top of your wages, they make up a part of your paycheck every month.

“I was really surprised and also angry,” when she found that out. She asked around and discovered her coworkers didn’t understand how the system worked either. “I’d say, ‘Did you know that a certain amount of our tips goes back towards our hourly [wage]?’ and I could see the look of confusion on their faces,” she says.

That changed this year, when Seattle’s tipped minimum wage system, in place for a decade, came to an end. Now things are simpler to understand: The minimum wage for all workers, everywhere, is $20.76 an hour — one of the highest rates in the country. Some restaurant owners have publicly groused about this and blamed the new minimum wage for forcing them to close. And right-wing media outlets have been enthusiastically highlighting instances where this high wage has hurt businesses. But advocates for the end of tipped minimum wage — like Working Washington, the labor advocacy group that put Eater Seattle in touch with Martinez — say that the policy is working as intended.

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TVW: The Impact - Labor Issues to Watch

From artificial intelligence to worker benefits and the minimum wage, part two of The Impact’s business and labor series offers a look at recent workplace policy changes and the labor issues to watch in 2025. Featuring Q&A with Washington State Labor Council President April Sims and Working Washington Exec. Director Danielle Alvarado.

Our Executive Director notes that working families benefit the most when minimum wage goes up.

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Axios: DoorDash spends over $1M to fight Seattle minimum wage law

DoorDash has spent more than $1 million since January lobbying to repeal Seattle's minimum wage law for app-based delivery drivers, according to city records.

Why it matters: The minimum wage ordinance has been a topic of intense debate since it took effect in January, with DoorDash and UberEats responding with new fees that some restaurants and drivers say have caused them to lose business.

The other side: Hannah Sabio-Howell, a spokesperson for Working Washington, doubts whether DoorDash needs to charge the new fees, given that it is "spending millions on lobbying and reporting record-breaking quarterly revenue this year," she wrote in an email to Axios.

  • Sabio-Howell added that "raising wages for low-wage workers is common sense economic policy."

What we're watching: Whether the council takes up amendments to the gig worker minimum wage ordinance again in the fall.

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KOMO News: DoorDash says new fee is necessary to remain sustainable under city's wage law

SEATTLE — It could soon cost customers even more to order DoorDash in Seattle.

The company confirmed on its website that it plans to add a $1.99 charge on certain long-distance orders starting Aug. 1 as it pushes the city council to drop its living wage standard for gig workers. A $1.99 minimum service fee would be tacked onto orders from DashPass subscribers.

The charges would come in addition to the $4.99 fee DoorDash put in place earlier this year. Upon hearing the proposal, some customers quickly admit their days of ordering delivery in Seattle are in the rearview because of the existing taxes and fees.

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“Seattle has made it clear all workers deserve a minimum wage, and it’s disappointing DoorDash thinks it can get away with anything less and thinks that it can work with Council President [Sara] Nelson to achieve a pay cut for workers,” Working Washington Communications Director Hannah Sabio-Howell stated.

KIRO 7: DoorDash announces more fees for Seattle customers

Doordash customers in Seattle will soon pay even higher fees to use the service in the city as the company cites a loss in revenue due to the minimum pay ordinance.

Come August 1, get ready to fork out even more for your next DoorDash delivery order.

The food delivery giant announced new fees Tuesday, adding $1.99 to certain orders in order to offset losses in the wake of Seattle’s “Pay Up” legislation.

A $1.99 minimum service fee will also be added to all orders for DashPass subscribers.

Hannah Sabio-Howell, the communications director with Working Washington & Fair Work Center, a low wage worker advocacy group, told KIRO 7 she believes the fees boil down to one thing.

“DoorDash is extorting Seattle,” Sabio-Howell said. “It has never once shown its numbers to explain why fees to cover operational costs are necessary.”

At the same time, a wave of lobbying continues to be seen from both sides.

Sabio-Howell pointing to DoorDash spending more than a hundred thousand dollars per month on advertising campaigns – mostly targeted at the city council and against the wage law.


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