CELEBRATING 7 YEARS OF SEATTLE’S SECURE SCHEDULING ORDINANCE!

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Seven years ago workers across the food service and retail sectors got fed up with being treated by our corporate employers as if we exist solely to serve at the beck and call of our boss. Having no predictability or flexibility at work made it impossible to live our lives — raise kids, have a vacation, be creative, enjoy other opportunities. So, we fought for Seattle’s first-ever secure scheduling ordinance, and today we celebrate seven years of a worker-won policy that gives us some breathing room. And thanks to the Office of Labor Standards, workers have held employers accountable to the law and put nearly $10 million back in workers’ pockets. Here’s to the next seven and many more!

“The principle behind secure scheduling is clear: workers are people. Workers have lives away from work. We all have a right to know when we’re going to work and how many hours we’re going to get. We’re proud to celebrate seven years of our nation-leading secure scheduling law that holds large corporate employers accountable to this principle and grants workers greater stability and joy both inside and outside of work.”

— Danielle Alvarado, Executive Director | Working Washington & Fair Work Center

How does secure scheduling work?

  • Employers must post work schedules at least 14 days in advance, and respect employees’ right to decline any hours not on originally posted schedules.

  • Employees are entitled to time-and-a-half pay for any hours worked between closing and opening shifts that are separated by less than 10 hours.

  • Employers must provide a written good faith estimate of median hours employees can expect to work and whether employees will work on-call shifts to new employees at the time of hire, and to current employees on an annual basis and when there is a significant change to employees’ schedules.

And more! Read more about the policy here.

5 Year Anniversary of The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights

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Celebrating five years!

Five years ago the city of Seattle set a powerful and historic precedent as the first city in the nation to have a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. 

Who is a domestic worker?
Domestic workers are those who provide paid services to an individual or household in a private home as a nanny, house cleaner, home care worker, gardener, cook, and/or household manager. These workers have been historically excluded from the same rights other workers have long enjoyed.

What does it do? 

The Domestic Worker Ordinance establishes:

  • Minimum wage for domestic workers
  • Provision of meal periods
  • Rest breaks
  • The right to keep personal documents.
  • Establishing the Domestic Worker Standards Board (DWSB)

Who made it happen: 

None of this would have happened without the tireless efforts of the Nanny Collective, along with worker champion Teresa Mosqueda, and our community partners Casa Latina, Hand in Hand, National Domestic Workers Alliance, and friends in the labor community!

La lucha sigue: 

The fight continues! Today, we celebrate; tomorrow, we press on to make this ordinance cover exploited domestic workers all over the state of Washington. Although Seattle was the first city to have such an ordinance, eleven states have also now enshrined domestic worker protections, and Washington must do the same.


How can I help? 

  • Follow the Nanny Collective on Facebook and Instagram! 
  • Donate to Fair Work Center and empower your domestic worker neighbors in Washington state.
  • Come celebrate with us! We’ll be gathered at Pratt Park (201 20th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144) on Monday July 1st from 5pm-8pm. Refreshments and activities will be provided! Children and families are all welcome as we mark this historic milestone.

 

Felicidades Centro Chinampa!

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This month we celebrated the 2-year anniversary of Centro Chinampa! This center has been our community space in Yakima where we organize with bodega workers, hold legal intake clinics, host Know Your Rights events with our friends at the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network, and build community together. 

Centro Chinampa is where workers have taken effective action to make our workplaces safer, healthier, and more humane. We have shared our stories of retaliation, mistreatment, and untenable workplace conditions – and how we fought back together and won. We have gathered around the table to share food and information about our rights at work. We have made meaningful progress in an agricultural industry that was built around the exploitation and neglect of the very people who make that industry possible.

Happy 2nd birthday to Centro Chinampa and thank you to all the workers who have brought life and solidarity into the space.


Este mes celebramos el segundo aniversario del Centro Chinampa. Este centro ha sido nuestro espacio comunitario en Yakima, donde nos organizamos con los trabajadores de las bodegas, realizamos clínicas de admisión legal, organizamos eventos de Conoce tus Derechos con nuestros amigos de la Red de Solidaridad con los Inmigrantes de Washington, y construimos comunidad juntos. 

El Centro Chinampa es el lugar donde los trabajadores han emprendido acciones eficaces para hacer que nuestros lugares de trabajo sean más seguros, más saludables y más humanos. Hemos compartido nuestras historias de represalias, malos tratos y condiciones laborales insostenibles, y cómo hemos luchado juntos y hemos ganado. Nos hemos reunido en torno a la mesa para compartir alimentos e información sobre nuestros derechos en el trabajo. Hemos logrado avances significativos en una industria agrícola que se construyó en torno a la explotación y el abandono de las mismas personas que hacen posible esa industria.

Feliz 2º cumpleaños al Centro Chinampa y gracias a todos los trabajadores que han dado vida y solidaridad a este espacio.

Fair Work News — April 2024

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Bosses back down when workers have access to legal resources:

Vineyard workers in Sunnyside, WA were injured and needed to take time off to recover, only to find their entire crew laid off shortly after. Our clients sought, and were granted, PFML for the injury, but the employer appealed, claiming they had walked off the job.  If the employer had been successful, our clients would have lost the right to their paid leave, and might have had to pay back any amounts they already received. After additional documentation and a notice of appearance entered by our legal team, the employer backed down. 


No small thing:

A nanny client recently won her small claims trial and was paid by her ex-employer! This means she won’t have to fight an appeal or figure out how to collect her money. And because empowered workers empower others, she hopes to inspire other nannies to exercise their rights, and has been supporting another Nanny Collective member to prepare for her trial.

 

Skewering some stolen wages:

Two food truck workers from MoMo’s Kebab in Seattle came to us when their bosses were stealing tips and underpaying them. After our legal team backed them up in some pitched negotiations, the workers won back wages. Checks in hands and hopefully lessons learned by some food truck bosses.  

 

Are your rights at work being violated?

If you’re interested in a training, one on one information session, or a free consultation with our lawyers, visit our office in Seattle or Yakima, email help@fairworkcenter.org, or fill out this form.

University of Washington Community Survey: Understanding the Initial Impact of Seattle’s PayUp Ordinance

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Researchers with UW’s Information School and the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies are studying the response to the PayUp Ordinance. 

PayUp and where we’re at now:

In 2022, the City Council passed the App-Based Worker Minimum Payment Ordinance (also called the “PayUp” Ordinance) requiring the following:

  • Minimum payment for time worker and miles traveled for each service
    • Minimum-per-minute amount of $0.44 and minimum per-mile amount of $0.74
    • Minimum per-offer amount of $5
  • Transparency: upfront disclosures of offer information and payment
  • Flexibility: Right to access app-based platform without limitations (excluding health and safety), no penalties for limiting availability or refusing orders, and the right to cancel an order with cause.  

These changes went into effect on January 13th, 2024. App-based corporations have used this as an opportunity to price-gouge customers both in and out of Seattle with outrageous retaliatory fees, and is lobbying the city council to repeal the law. 

The University of Washington is asking app-based workers, consumers, and business owners and operators to take our survey:

The Assurecare Workers’ Story

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Ending Racist And Sexist Exclusion Of Caregivers From Critical Labor Standards In Washington

We were recently featured as guest contributors on Impact Fund’s blog to talk about our recent case with Assurecare workers.

On March 24, 2023, the Fair Work Center helped six workers file a lawsuit against Assurecare for failure to pay their full wages for all hours worked, missed rest breaks and meal periods, and significant overtime premiums.

Read more about the case and about our fight to end the racist and sexist exclusion of caregivers from critical labor standards in Washington.

 

 

Seattle App-Based Worker Minimum Payment Ordinance In Effect

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Subminimum wages for Seattle’s gig workers are OVER.

As of January 13, 2024, the PayUp App-Based Worker Minimum Payment Ordinance finally goes into effect – the law that thousands of gig workers fought for that guarantees a minimum pay floor and better flexibility and transparency standards. 

Fed up workers spoke up, fought back, and won these rights.

Now, we need to educate other workers about our new rights and band together to ensure we can enforce our rights. Here are some FAQs about the new law that gig workers need to know.

 

Want to learn more about the law and make sure it’s working for you? Below are some great ways to learn about the new law and to make sure it has teeth:

  • Read the details of the law at the Office of Labor Standards.
  • Come to our PayUp Ordinance Know Your Rights meeting on February 15 to get your questions answered and meet the workers who won the #PayUp campaign. We’ll dive into the details of the law and you’ll also have the chance to talk one-on-one with our legal team about your pay.
  • Reach out to our team anytime at help@fairworkcenter.org

What can you do to keep up the momentum?

  • TAKE. SCREENSHOTS. We have reason to believe the apps won’t follow the law. They’ve tried to weasel out of paying workers’ hazard pay and Paid Sick & Safe Time before. The key to finding out if they’re breaking this law too? If you are a worker or a customer on apps like GrubHub, Instacart, and Amazon Flex, take lots of screenshots. The best way to hold the apps accountable is to keep careful records of what they do or don’t tell you – and then bring that to us at a meeting if you want help finding out whether we’ve got a case on our hands.
  • Contribute to our work so we have the resources we need to reach out to more workers, and go to bat for our rights.

 

Request for Information: Nonprofit Accounting Services Providers

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Fair Work Center (a 501c3 nonprofit organization) & Working Washington (a 501c4 nonprofit organization) — two related organizations that share an Executive Director, staff, and other resources — are issuing a request for information to help us in exploring a new vendor for providing our nonprofit organizations with accounting services. (Download the PDF here:Accounting services RFI)

We share operations across both organizations so we require vendors familiar with c3 and c4 compliance guidelines as they relate to accounting and bookkeeping. We operate on an accrual basis. 

While we handle day to day accounts payables and receivables, we are looking for support with the following services:

  • Reconcile bank, credit card, and other financial accounts on a monthly basis
  • Maintain chart of accounts and class list
  • Make appropriate accrual and deferral entries
  • Provide financial reports to management, as needed
  • Assist Operations staff with general ledger entries
  • Complete year-end closing entries
  • Prepare and file yearly 1099s and W2s
  • Prepare and file yearly 990s
  • Assist in the development of Financial Policies and Procedures
  • Assist in responding to annual audit(s) 
  • Assist Operations staff with additional Quickbooks support, as needed 
  • Other related accounting items, as needed

Vendors who are interested in working with us should respond to the survey questions (follow this link) or email their responses to josh@fairworkcenter.org.  

  • Your name
  • Phone
  • Email
  • Company name
  • Company EIN
  • Does your business qualify as a Women & Minority Owned Business Enterprise? 
  • What are your hourly rates? 
  • Do you have experience working with 501c3 and 501c4  nonprofit organizations? 
  • What else should we know about your and your company?

La historia de Efrain: “Fue una falta de respeto”

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Efraín trabajaba como cocinero en un bar deportivo en Seattle. Tuvo que trabajar horas extras, no pudo tomar descansos, y lo pagaron por 40 horas cada semana—sin importar cuántas horas adicionales él trabajara. Y cuando intentó a tomar tiempo pagado de enfermedad, su patrón lo despidió. 

Nos contactó y lo representamos en su caso contra su empleador. Ahora, Efraín está recibiendo $72,000 en un acuerdo—más que un año de pago. 

Lee la historia de Efrain, en sus propias palabras:

“Después de que me contrataron, fui trabajando duro por seis meses, ganando el salario mínimo que me ofrecieron. Al seis meses, el manager me mandó a hablar. Traje un compañero, el que hablaba más inglés, porque el manager solamente hablaba inglés, y el que me traducía la conversación. El manager me comentó que yo andaba bien, y me ofreció más responsabilidades. Y entonces este ya me ofreció mil dólares por trabajar de lunes a domingo – pues, tenía que estar los 7 días ahí. 

A partir de eso, trabajaba normalmente como 55 horas por semana, y a veces llegábamos hasta las 60 horas—todo por 1000 dólares por semana. No me pagaron nada extra por todas las horas extras. Entonces me debieron mucho dinero, ¿no? Pero claro que necesitaba el trabajo. 

Fue toda una locura trabajar 7 días o 6 días a la semana. Salía para la casa a la una y media de la mañana. Luego dos, dos y media. No pude descansar en el trabajo ni tomar días de descanso. Entre ellos estaría durmiendo 4 or 5 horas. 

Me sentí mal porque allí en realidad—y bueno ya antes era mucho trabajo—ahora fue aún más trabajo. A este señor no le interesaba el esfuerzo que nos hizo y que no está pagando mucho. Además, el dueño hacía una fiesta cada año para los empleados—pero a nosotros, los de la cocina, nunca nos invitaban. Todo eso, el pago y la exclusión, fue una falta de respeto. 

Un día, le dije al manager muy temprano que no dormía bien, y que tengo que ir al dentista porque necesito ayuda con un dolor en los dientes. Nunca faltaba trabajo, pero hoy no pude trabajar. Y me dice usted puede ir al dentista, muy suave, que quiere irse. Ya después, unas dos horas después, me llamó a decirme que estaba despedido.

Me quedé enojado y frustrado, me quedé en cómo todo el trabajo que hice yo ahí como que no les importó. Todavía es muy, muy frustrante. 

Hace como cinco años yo supe de Fair Work Center, porque yo me inscribí a una escuela de inglés, donde recuerdo que la maestra nos informó sobre lo que es Fair Work Center. Entonces me puse en contacto con los abogados, y empezaron a apoyarme con mi caso. 

Nada más quiero que los otros trabajadores sepan los derechos que tenemos nosotros. A veces como personas sin papeles, nosotros no sabemos ni a dónde acudir o con quién preguntarles cuando no están respetando nuestros derechos. En situaciones anteriores, yo no dije nada, yo me quedé callado por temor de represalias y todo eso—yo nunca les dije que tengo una experiencia, me pasó, podemos demandar, podemos hacer esto, no? 

Pero con este caso, yo siempre sabía que tengo el caso y necesito hacer valer mis derechos. Y lo hicimos.”

¿No están respetando tus derechos? ¿Necesitas ayuda?

Llámanos al 844-485-1195, envíanos un correo en help@fairworkcenter.org, o llena este formulario.

What are ag workers saying about what real celebration and support would look like?

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Agricultural workers in the Yakima Valley joined Fair Work Center on the radio last month as part of a program celebrating National Ag Workers’ Week. Workers shared the challenges they’re facing, how they’re organizing to assert and expand their rights, and what it would mean to truly feel that their work is valued and celebrated.

Many workers agreed that simply declaring a week in March to be Ag Worker Celebration Week was not enough to truly celebrate their work and support their communities. Instead, ag workers want action—and one thing we can do is ensure all ag workers get overtime pay when they work overtime hours by passing SB 5172. (UPDATE: this bill has passed the legislature and is on the Governor’s desk waiting to be signed into law!)

>>>Click here to tell your state representative to support ag workers and pass SB 5172 without amendments when it comes to the House floor for a vote.

What else are ag workers saying about what real celebration and support would look like?

“To me, celebrating farmworkers would mean meeting our community’s needs. I’m not sure what celebrating us looks like if it doesn’t also mean real enforcement of our rights on the job.”

“The state government doesn’t have enough inspectors to keep watch on every farmer and every company. Farmers know that and so they do what they want. That’s why as workers, we have to take care of one another and come together to support one another.”

“We always see abuses against workers—where I work, sometimes our supervisors don’t want to give us our sick hours. And if you try to use your right to paid sick leave, they get mad and take it out on you. Things are still really unjust in our industry—which is why we’ve got to organize and enforce our rights.”

“To actually celebrate us, that would mean passing immigration reform for workers. Many of us are undocumented—even though we have many years working in agriculture. We’re essential workers…and it’s time for the government to support us with immigration reform so that we can work freely.”

“Celebrating us means companies treating us with the respect we deserve as workers.”

Workers shared personal stories about the labor rights violations they face on a daily basis: assault and harassment by management, physical and emotional stress, lack of adequate safety equipment, wage theft, lack of legally-required breaks, and working overtime hours without getting paid overtime. You can click here to listen to the full Spanish-language radio program.

UPDATE: SB 5171 has passed the Legislature and was delivered to the Governor on April 26! Governor Inslee is expected to sign the bill into law, ensuring that all agricultural workers have the right to earn overtime pay when they work overtime hours and eliminating this longstanding racist exclusion in our labor laws.