10 Years of Worker Wins: Seattle’s Fight for Fair Wages

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Today, we celebrate a decade of worker power! In 2015, Seattle’s Minimum Wage and Wage Theft Ordinances took effect—raising wages, holding bad employers accountable, and setting a national standard for worker protections.

The Impact

✅ $16 million recovered for nearly 10,000 workers

✅ Minimum wage increased from $9 in 2014 to $20.76 today

✅ 6,000+ workers won back stolen wages through wage theft enforcement

These victories didn’t happen by chance—they happened because workers organized, took action, and fought for fairness.

Today, Seattle’s minimum wage stands at $20.76 per hour, showing just how far we’ve come in the fight for fair pay. But the work isn’t over—bad employers still attempt to undercut workers, and we must remain vigilant to defend and expand these hard-fought gains.

The Fight Continues

As our Executive Director Danielle Alvarado says:

“Winning the Fight for $15 was just the beginning. Strong enforcement ensures our victories keep putting money back in workers’ pockets and building a fair economy for all.”

Seattle’s worker movement is proof: when we organize, we win. This milestone is not just about celebrating the past—it’s about fueling the movement for our future. 

As we look ahead, we must continue the fight to strengthen enforcement, expand protections, and ensure that all workers—especially those in historically excluded industries like domestic work and gig work—are treated with the dignity we deserve.

Let’s keep pushing for justice in every workplace!

View a Press Release commemorating this anniversary by the Seattle Office Of Labor Standards.

WASHINGTON STATE SENATE ADVANCES THE DOMESTIC WORKERS BILL OF RIGHTS, WORKERS REACT

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For Immediate Release: March 5, 2025

Contact: Hannah Sabio-Howell | hannah@workingwa.org, (206) 573-2317

Washington state takes a major step toward becoming the thirteenth state in the nation to end the exclusions that shut domestic workers out of minimum wage, sick time, overtime, and other basic labor standards

Following news of the victory, domestic workers speak to the importance of including the industry in fair workplace standards

Seattle, WA – The Washington state Senate today approved a bill to end the historic exclusions of domestic workers from basic, common-sense labor standards such as minimum wage, sick time, and protection from discrimination.

Going back to the dawn of the New Deal, the domestic work industry – made up mostly of immigrants and women of color, then and now – has been legally excluded from the labor standards that ensure stability and prosperity for Washington families. As a result, an estimated 100,000 workers in our state labor in the shadows, often making subminimum wage, working without proper breaks, and feeling unable to speak up for themselves.

Key elements of the policy approved by the Senate today include:

  • Wage and Hour Standards: Establish the right to minimum wage, overtime pay, meal and rest breaks, and notice of termination for domestic workers.

  • Sick Time: End the exclusion of domestic workers from the current state sick time law.

  • Anti-Discrimination & Anti-Retaliation: Prohibit discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on protected characteristics, including immigration status; remove eight-employee minimum for domestic worker employers; and provide additional protections specific to domestic workers, such as prohibiting the seizure of personal documents and monitoring of private activities.

  • Written Agreements & Record-Keeping: Require written employment agreements and record-keeping of hours, wages, and other employment terms; require “reasonable time” for a worker to review the agreement and to have it translated into the language they understand.

  • Enforcement: Grant authority to the Department of Labor & Industries to investigate complaints, issue citations, and collect unpaid wages; establish private right of action, and create community/agency partnerships to ensure robust and culturally competent enforcement.

Twelve other states, including Oregon and California, have passed a statewide Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, including several major cities across the country. It is more important than ever that all Washington workers get the pay and dignity they are owed. Washington’s economy is the strongest in the nation for a reason – we have worked hard to raise wages and workplace standards for millions, but domestic workers have been left out of that growth. It’s time we make our economy truly inclusive by raising standards for this largely immigrant workforce that sustains so many working-class families and families of color.

The bill now advances to the Washington state House for consideration. If passed, domestic workers across Washington would finally be eligible for the same basic labor standards that workers in most other industry rely upon for stability and dignity in the workplace.

Comments from workers are included below. Contact Hannah Sabio-Howell to arrange an interview.

“Our work is physical, emotional and essential, but many of us still face abuse due to lack of information and enforcement of existing laws. It is crucial that employers have guidance on our rights and that the use of contracts is mandatory to ensure fair conditions.” – Elena Echeverría, cleaner

Many endure sudden cuts to their hours without notice, withheld wages, and the inability to take sick leave out of fear of losing their jobs. Passing this law is critical to expanding the rights of domestic workers and ensuring dignity and fairness for everyone in this profession.” – Lisbeth Herrera, nanny

“During the week I take care of a baby that I adore. Her moms, a pediatrician and a surgeon, are able to focus on their patients because of my work. Yet as essential as my work is, I do not have access to basic rights such as health insurance. We face risks every day: physical injuries, illnesses transmitted by children, or health problems from the chemicals we use when cleaning. Without the rights in the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, the well-being of our families and those we care for is at risk.” – Jael Cuellar, in-home caregiver

Fair Work Center to King County Small Claims Court: Prioritize Language Accessibility and Access to Justice

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On August 21st, the Fair Work Center, along with 11 other signatories, sent an advocacy letter to the King County District Court’s Small Claims Division to highlight significant language barriers our clients have faced in accessing the Court and to request that the Court works with us and community partners to address it. The present language barriers pose serious access to justice concerns and have had a disproportionate impact on marginalized communities. For many workers, Small Claims Court is their best option to recover stolen wages and it is essential that everyone, regardless of the language they speak, have access to the courts.

A few examples of issues our clients have faced include, but are not limited to,

  • Difficulties filing the initial small claims court complaint because many of the required court forms are only available in English and the few forms that are translated are difficult to locate on the website. Further, the option of filing online is impossible for non-english speakers because the portal is exclusively in English.
  • Workers received instructions relevant to their case entirely in English despite indicating that they required interpretation in a different language. In one case, because the worker could not understand the notice they received, they missed an important deadline in their case.
  • Workers have had less-favorable outcomes in their cases, and in one instance, their case was dismissed, because the Court failed to provide an interpreter and the worker had to navigate the hearing without one.

The above examples highlight a few of the reasons why we wrote this advocacy letter to the Court. Our goal is to elevate these concerns to the Court and to work with them and community partners to enhance language access. We are committed to continuing to fight for more just outcomes for all workers in Washington State, regardless of what language they speak.

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.