FIRED FOR SPEAKING UP FOR SAFETY, BODEGA WORKERS IN CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNITED TO FIGHTBACK AND WIN

/in /by

(Español abajo)

In August 2023, in the blistering heat of summer in South Central Washington, a group of workers at a fruitpacking warehouse (known in Spanish as a bodega), fed up and frightened, came to our Central Chinampa offices in Yakima. Their story was all too familiar in a region where big farmowners and agribusinesses often treat workers like they are living in a corporate fiefdom. Hansen Fruit Company had just fired them all. Their only “offense”? Speaking up for their safety and for their coworkers.

Just days earlier, they had approached their supervisor to make a complaint about the conditions inside the bodega where they worked, which were rapidly becoming (literally) unbearable to be in, let alone work at a rapid pace for long hours. Temperatures had soared inside the building to a searing 108-degrees! Workers asked to turn on the fans in the warehouse, but a supervisor refused. Rather than address their concerns and try to reduce the risk of danger for the workers by improving the cooling systems or airflow, the company didn’t even pretend to care. One worker turned on the fans themselves. The company fired the workers, for what they believed was retaliation for having the audacity to think that maybe no worker should have to risk heatstroke in order to do their job.

These workers refused to be silent and allow their coworkers to remain at risk, despite what the company had done to them for speaking up. With our help, the workers filed a health and safety complaint with the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) at the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.

The workers refused to back down and let that be the only thing they did. By February 2024, they were ready to escalate and we helped them to file an unfair labor practice charge with the federal authorities at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). With their charge against Hansen, the workers were alleging that the company retaliated against them for engaging in protected concerted activity. Protected concerted activity is one of the very important rights that we have as workers! It is when two or more workers take action together to try to improve their conditions at work. That’s exactly what the group of workers at Hansen were doing when they spoke to their supervisor about how the high temperature inside the bodega was becoming dangerous and made it very difficult to do their jobs! Protected concerted activity is protected by law and when you and your coworkers do it, your boss is not allowed to treat you unfairly or punish you for it. In this case, it seems the company didn’t care or thought it could get away with it.

Not on our watch! Once the NLRB started investigating the charge, we helped the workers gather evidence and documentation of how the company had harmed their finances by firing them. When the NLRB looked at the facts and evidence and couldn’t let the company off the hook. The NLRB determined that two of the workers had a case for accusing the company of illegally firing them. Us and the NLRB were ready to drag the company further into the legal process to hold them accountable for the unfair treatment of the fired workers.

Before the case even moved to court, Hansen sat down to negotiate with us. As part of the settlement, two of the fired workers got a big payout: about a year’s worth of wages! The win wasn’t only about money. The company was forced to post notices around the bodega informing everyone working there about our rights under the National Labor Relations Act, an important law that protects our rights at work. The notices included a promise that the company would not retaliate for workers coming together to make complaints, like complaints that the company is not doing enough about the high heat we have to work in! They even mentioned that the workers had decided not to exercise their right to return to work.

Our fight doesn’t end here. Yes, the company posted notices about our rights as workers, but that’s the bare minimum. We plan to hold a Know Your Rights training at Centro Chinampa for the workers currently working at the bodega about taking collective action to improve our lives at work.

We didn’t get this win through just a good legal argument and following the correct order of procedures. Let’s also be clear that the company didn’t just give us this win from the goodness of their heart or because they suddenly woke up one morning with a conscience and felt guilty about firing people for trying to stay safe at work. This wasn’t good luck and it wasn’t charity. It was pressure. It was our power. We won because workers came together and stayed together as we fought for accountability, for what we deserve, for each other. Solidarity did that. May this win be a reminder for ourselves in the future of what is possible when workers unite together to fight and say: SI SE PUEDE.

 

 

DESPEDIDOS POR ALZAR LA VOZ POR SEGURIDAD, TRABAJADORES DE UNA BODEGA EN EL CENTRO DE WASHINGTON SE UNIERON PARA LUCHAR Y GANAR

En agosto de 2023, bajo el calor abrasador del verano en el sur-centro de Washington, un grupo de trabajadores de una bodega, hartos y asustados, llegó a nuestras oficinas de Centro Chinampa en Yakima. Su historia era tristemente común en una región donde los grandes propietarios agrícolas y los agronegocios actúan como si los trabajadores vivieran en su feudo corporativo. La empresa Hansen Fruit Company los había despedido. ¿Su “delito”? Haber alzado la voz por su seguridad y por la de sus compañeros.

Días antes, se habían acercado a su supervisor para quejarse de las condiciones dentro la bodega de fruta donde trabajaban, que ya eran insoportables para estar ahí, mucho menos para trabajar a un ritmo rápido durante largas horas. ¡La temperatura dentro del edificio había disparado a unos calurosos 108 grados! Los trabajadores pidieron que se encendieran los ventiladores de la bodega, pero el supervisor se negó. En vez de atender sus preocupaciones y tratar de reducir el peligro para los trabajadores mejorando el flujo de aire, la empresa ni siquiera fingió preocuparse. Un trabajador encendió él mismo los ventiladores. La empresa despidió a los trabajadores como represalia por atreverse a pensar que ningún trabajador debería correr el riesgo de sufrir un golpe de calor solo por hacer su trabajo.

A pesar de eso, estos trabajadores se negaron a quedarse callados y permitir que sus compañeros siguieran en peligro. Con nuestra ayuda, presentaron una queja por salud y seguridad ante la División de Seguridad y Salud Ocupacional (DOSH, por sus siglas en inglés) del Departamento de Labor e Industrias del estado de Washington.

Los trabajadores se negaron a echarse a atrás o a que eso fuera lo único que hicieran. En febrero de 2024, estaban listos para ir a más y los ayudamos a presentar una denuncia por prácticas laborales injustas ante la Junta Nacional de Relaciones Laborales (NLRB, por sus siglas en inglés). En su denuncia contra Hansen, los trabajadores alegaban que la empresa los despidió en represalia por participar en una actividad concertada protegida. ¡La actividad concertada protegida es uno de los derechos más importantes que tenemos como trabajadores! Es cuando dos o más trabajadores actúan juntos para intentar de mejorar sus condiciones de trabajo. Eso fue exactamente lo que hizo el grupo de trabajadores cuando hablaron con su supervisor de que la temperatura extrema dentro de la bodega se estaba volviendo peligrosa y dificultaba hacer el trabajo. La ley protege la actividad concertada y los jefes no tienen derecho a tratarte injustamente ni castigarte por ello. En este caso, parece que a la empresa no le importó o pensó que podía salirse con la suya.

¡Pero no bajo nuestra vigilancia! Una vez que la NLRB empezó a investigar, ayudamos a los trabajadores a reunir pruebas y documentación que mostraran como el despido les había afectado económicamente. Al revisar los hechos y las pruebas, la NLRB no pudo dejar pasar sin responder lo que hizo Hansen. Determinaron que dos trabajadores tenían base legal para acusar a la empresa de despedirlos ilegalmente. Nosotros y la NLRB estábamos dispuestos a seguir adelante y llevar a Hansen ante la justicia por el trato injusto de los trabajadores que despidieron.

Antes de que el caso pasará a los tribunales, Hansen se sentó a negociar con nosotros. Como parte del acuerdo, dos de los trabajadores despedidos obtuvieron un pago grande: ¡casi un año completo de salario! Pero esta victoria no fue solo sobre el dinero. La empresa fue obligada a colocar carteles por toda la bodega informando a todos los que trabajan allí de nuestros derechos bajo la ley Nacional de Relaciones Laborales (NLRA, por sus siglas en inglés), una importante ley que protege nuestros derechos en el trabajo. Los avisos incluyen la promesa de que la empresa no tomaría represalias contra los trabajadores que se unan para hacer quejas (actividad concertada protegida), como las quejas de que la empresa no está haciendo lo suficiente para evitar que la temperatura dentro la bodega llegue a un calor extremo. También mencionaron que los trabajadores despedidos habían decidido no ejercer su derecho a volver al trabajo con la empresa.

Nuestra lucha no termina aquí. Si, la empresa publicó avisos sobre nuestros derechos como trabajadores, pero eso es lo mínimo. Planeamos realizar un taller informativo (“Conoce tus derechos”) en el Centro Chinampa, las oficinas en Yakima de Working Washington and Fair Work Center, para los trabajadores que actualmente trabajan en la bodega de Hansen, sobre se puede tomar acción colectiva para mejorar nuestras vidas en el trabajo.

No ganamos esto solo con buenos argumentos legales y siguiendo el orden correcto de los procedimientos. También hay que dejar claro que tampoco nos concedió esta victoria por bondad de su corazón o porque de repente sintieron despertaron una mañana con conciencia y se sintieron culpables por despedir a trabajadores solamente porque intentaron mantener la seguridad en el trabajo. No fue suerte ni caridad. Fue presión. Fue nuestro poder. Ganamos porque los trabajadores nos unimos y permanecimos unidos en la lucha por la justicia, por lo que merecemos, y por cada uno de nosotros. Que esta victoria nos recuerde en el futuro de lo que es posible cuando los trabajadores nos unimos para luchar y decir: !SÍ SE PUEDE!

 

HE CHOSE TO USE SICK TIME TO CARE FOR HIS FAMILY, THE APP DEACTIVATED HIM: HOW ONE GIG WORKER FOUGHT BACK AND WON

/in /by

(Español abajo)

“I was doing everything I could to support my family — and then they deactivated me without warning.”
Yelkal, a Seattle area gig worker

Yelkal has driven Seattle’s busy streets for over four years, navigating traffic jams and our unpredictable weather to put food on other people’s tables as well as his own. Like many immigrant gig workers, Yelkal has juggled long hours on the road while working across multiple apps in order to support his growing family. (Delivering meals through apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub can be challenging at times due to unpredictable order volumes, farflung destinations, and inconsiderate businesses or customers.)

But then, last year, life threw Yelkal a joyful curveball and he and his wife welcomed a newborn child into their family. As any caring partner would do, Yelkal paused his wild schedule to step up and take care of his wife and newborn baby.

His next step should have been simple and straightforward. Gig workers in Seattle came together to win our inclusion in the Paid Sick And Safe Time (PSST) law back in 2023. When Yelkal tried to use his hard-earned sick time through DoorDash in order to have some income during such an important period of his life, they ghosted him. His request seemingly vanished without a trace and was never processed.

The very next day after trying to apply to use his PSST, they threw a gut punch. DoorDash abruptly deactivated his account. The company gave Yelkal a bogus excuse in an attempt to justify what they were doing to him and his family. The company claimed that his offer completion rate had dipped just below their arbitrary 90% threshold.

Baffled by their reasoning for preventing him from taking on more work through their app, Yelkal immediately appealed his deactivation with DoorDash. Yelkal explained the dip in his completion rate, “I wasn’t working because I was helping my wife with the new baby.” If he had been talking to a sympathetic person, his issue would likely have been resolved then and there. But DoorDash? “They didn’t care,” Yelkal said. “They just said their decision was final.”

Yelkal reached out to our team in January for help. Together we formed a plan to most effectively challenge his deactivation. We diligently documented the circumstances around being deactivated and dug deeper into DoorDash’s shady actions, including requesting delivery records to determine which orders had allegedly impacted the order completion rate. In the meantime we filed a complaint with the Seattle Office of Labor Standards (OLS). DoorDash refused to cooperate with even the most basic data about Yelkal’s own delivery history. It shouldn’t have felt like pulling teeth, with weeks passing with DoorDash stubbornly refusing to cooperate. If there’s one thing we know, it is that workers don’t win by backing down. We were persistent and our pressure finally broke through DoorDash’s resistance so that we were able to obtain some documentation which we were able to turn over to OLS.

In March, after almost a full year of being unfairly deactivated simply for trying to care for his family and access a benefit he had a right to by law, Yelkal got good news: DoorDash had reinstated his account. The greedy corporation didn’t just decide to do the right thing. Yelkal spoke up, sought help from other gig workers, and together we were able to strategize and organize to fight for what we deserve.

 

ELIGIÓ USAR SU TIEMPO DE ENFERMEDAD PARA CUIDAR A SU FAMILIA, LA APLICACION LO DESACTIVÓ: CÓMO UN TRABAJADOR DE APLICACIONES LUCHÓ Y GANÓ

“Hacía todo lo que podía para mantener a mi familia y luego me desactivaron sin previo aviso”. (Traducido de inglés)
Yelkal, trabajador autónomo de Seattle

Yelkal lleva más de cuatro años conduciendo por las calles concurridas de Seattle, sorteando atascos de tráfico y nuestro impredecible clima para poner comida en las mesas de otras personas y en la suya propia. Como muchos inmigrantes que trabajan en aplicaciones, Yelkal ha tenido que hacer malabarismos durante largas horas en la carretera mientras trabajaba en varias aplicaciones para mantener a su creciente familia. (El reparto de comida a través de aplicaciones como Uber Eats, DoorDash y Grubhub puede ser complicado a veces debido al volumen impredecible de los pedidos, los destinos lejanos y los negocios o clientes desconsiderados.)

El año pasado, la vida le lanzó una alegre bola curva y él y su esposa dieron la bienvenida a su familia su bebé recién nacido. Como haría cualquier pareja que se precie, Yelkal hizo una pausa en su alocada agenda para cuidar a su esposa y bebé recién nacido. Su siguiente paso debería haber sido sencillo. En el 2023, los trabajadores de aplicaciones en Seattle nos unimos para conseguir nuestra inclusión en la ordenanza de permisos por enfermedad pagados (PSST, por sus siglas en inglés). Cuando Yelkal trató de utilizar su tiempo de enfermedad que había ganado con tanto esfuerzo a través de su trabajo con DoorDash, para obtener algunos ingresos durante un período tan importante de su vida, lo ghostearon. Su solicitud nunca se procesó y al parecer desapareció sin dejar rastro.

Al día siguiente, le dieron un golpe bajo. DoorDash desactivó bruscamente su cuenta. La compañía le dio a Yelkal una excusa descabellada para intentar justificar lo que le estaban haciéndole a él y a su familia. La compañía alegó que su tasa de finalización de ofertas había caído por debajo de su umbral arbitrario del 90%.

Desconcertado por su razonamiento para evitar que asumiera más trabajo a través de su aplicación, Yelkal apeló inmediatamente su desactivación de DoorDash. Yelkal explicó el descenso de su tasa de finalización: “No estaba trabajando porque estaba ayudando a mi mujer con el nuevo bebé”. Si hubiera estado hablando con una persona compasiva, eso habría resuelto el problema. ¿Pero DoorDash? “No les importó”, dijo Yelkal. “Solo dijeron que su decisión era definitiva”.

Yelkal se puso en contacto con nuestro equipo en enero para pedir ayuda. Juntos elaboramos un plan para impugnar su desactivación de la forma más eficaz. Documentamos diligentemente las circunstancias que rodearon su desactivación y profundizamos en las turbias acciones de DoorDash, incluida la solicitud de registros de entrega para determinar qué pedidos habían afectado supuestamente a la tasa de finalización de pedidos. Mientras tanto, presentamos una queja ante la Oficina de Normas Laborales de Seattle (OLS). DoorDash se negó a cooperar incluso con los datos más básicos sobre el propio historial de entregas de Yelkal. No debería haber sentido como tirar de los dientes, con semanas que pasan con DoorDash obstinadamente se niega a cooperar. Si hay algo que sabemos es que los trabajadores no ganan echándose atrás. Fuimos persistentes y nuestra presión finalmente rompió la resistencia de DoorDash, de modo que pudimos obtener alguna documentación que pudimos entregar a OLS.

En marzo, después de casi un año entero de estar injustamente desactivado simplemente por intentar cuidar de su familia y acceder a una prestación a la que tenía derecho por ley, Yelkal recibió buenas noticias: DoorDash había restablecido su cuenta. La codiciosa corporación no decidió simplemente hacer lo correcto. Yelkal alzó la voz, buscó la ayuda de otros trabajadores por cuenta ajena y juntos pudimos elaborar estrategias y organizarnos para luchar por lo que merecemos.

No More Bogus Deactivations For Gig Workers In Seattle/No Más Desactivaciones Por Excusas Ridículas Para Los Trabajadores De Aplicaciones En Seattle

/in /by

(Español abajo/Spanish below)

App-based gig workers in Seattle fought to win new protections against unfair deactivations (aka: when app companies like UberEats, Doordash, and Instacart abruptly bar a worker from continuing to work through the app, with no explanation or recourse). Before this law came into effect on January 1, 2025, it was common for app companies to give no notice when they fired workers like this and they also offered no way for the worker to protest their deactivation.

But workers got fed up, got organized, and WON. App companies can no longer hide how they decide whether to deactivate a worker. They must provide us with a policy that states which actions or circumstances may lead to being deactivated from an app. They can’t just make stuff up, either! The rules they come up with have to be reasonable and related to the work we do. Otherwise, they can’t use them as an excuse to kick us off an app.

As part of our protections, in most cases app companies must not shut off our access to work on their app without 14 days notice. Unlike in the past, when a company deactivates an account they have to provide a reason for doing so and include information like the specific incident that violated the company’s deactivation policy. App companies must also provide a way to challenge a deactivation and, just as importantly, they have to explain to us how to do it! Once we challenge a deactivation directly through the app company, we also have the right to file a complaint with the Seattle Office of Labor Standards.

Want to know more about our protections under the Deactivation Rights ordinance? Come to our next monthly info session! Together, we can ensure that these rights aren’t just words on paper and ensure that Seattle is the best city to do gig work.

 

Los trabajadores de aplicaciones en Seattle luchamos para conseguir nuevas protecciones contra las desactivaciones injustas (también conocido como cuando empresas de aplicaciones como UberEats, Doordash e Instacart bruscamente impiden a un trabajador seguir trabajando a través de su aplicación, sin explicación ni recurso). Antes de que esta ley entrará en vigor el 1 de enero de 2025, era habitual que las empresas de aplicaciones no dieran aviso cuando despidieran a los trabajadores de su aplicación y también no ofrecían ninguna forma de que el trabajador protestará por su desactivación.

Pero los trabajadores nos hartamos, nos organizamos y GANAMOS. Las empresas de aplicaciones ya no pueden ocultar cómo deciden si desactivan a un trabajador. Deben proporcionarnos una política que establezca qué acciones o circunstancias pueden llevar a la desactivación de una aplicación. ¡Tampoco pueden inventarse las cosas! Las normas que establecen tienen que ser razonables y estar relacionadas con nuestro trabajo. Si no, no pueden utilizarlas como excusa para despedirnos.

Como parte de nuestras protecciones, en la mayoría de los casos las empresas de aplicaciones no deben impedirnos el acceso a trabajar en su aplicación sin avisarnos con 14 días de antelación. A diferencia de lo que ocurría en el pasado, cuando una empresa desactiva una cuenta debe justificarlo e incluir información como el incidente concreto que infringió la política de desactivación de la empresa. Las empresas de aplicaciones también deben ofrecer un proceso para protestar la desactivación y, lo que es igual de importante, !que nos expliquen como hacerlo! Después de protestar la desactivación directamente a través de la empresa de aplicaciones, también tenemos derecho a presentar una queja ante la Oficina de Normas Laborales de Seattle (Seattle Office of Labor Standards, en inglés).

¿Quieres saber más sobre nuestras protecciones bajo la ordenanza de derechos de desactivación? ¡Únete a nuestra próxima sesión informativa mensual! Unidos podemos asegurar que estos derechos no se queden en papel mojado y que Seattle sea la mejor ciudad para trabajadores de aplicaciones.

Fighting for Justice: A Domestic Worker’s Victory and Why We Need a Bill of Rights

/in /by

In Washington state, thousands of domestic workers—nannies, house cleaners, and caregivers—work without the most basic labor protections. Many face wage theft, unfair working conditions, and employer exploitation. Seattle workers won the Seattle Domestic Workers Ordinance that establishes overdue protections for domestic workers in the city, but workers statewide still lack clear, enforceable rights—which is why we are fighting for a Washington Domestic Workers Bill of Rights.

Recently, our legal team at Working Washington and Fair Work Center represented a domestic worker in a case that highlights why these protections are so urgently needed.

This worker, referred to our legal team through Casa Latina, had recently immigrated from Honduras. She and her adolescent daughter were living in a women’s shelter while she tried to establish financial stability. Like many domestic workers, she faced unpredictable work schedules, no guaranteed wages, and no labor protections.

Throughout her employment, her employer denied her rest breaks—a violation of Seattle labor laws. When she needed to take legally protected sick time, her employer denied this. Additionally, the employer offered to loan her money for car repairs but charged exorbitant, undisclosed interest, trapping her in a cycle of debt. Ultimately, the instability of the job forced her to step away voluntarily.

When our legal team got involved, we helped the worker calculate her damages, which included:

  • Missed meal and rest breaks
  • Recovering the unfairly charged interest from the loan
  • Penalties for being denied protected sick time

She initially sought $9,500 in damages, but penalties for the employer’s violations pushed her case above the $10,000 cap for small claims court. After sending a demand letter, the employer hired a lawyer and attempted to intimidate her—a common tactic used against immigrant workers. But with legal support and persistence, she secured a $15,000 settlement, enough to move her family into stable housing.

The Bigger Picture: Why We Need a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights

This case is a hopeful story, but no worker should have to go through this just to claim their basic rights. Employers exploit the vulnerabilities of immigrant workers, using fear and misinformation to prevent them from speaking out. But the truth is that all workers—regardless of immigration status—have rights.

If the Washington Domestic Workers Bill of Rights were in place, this worker wouldn’t have had to fight for what she deserves, such as:

✅ Paid sick leave

✅ Overtime pay

✅ A guaranteed minimum wage

✅ The right to rest breaks

Domestic workers play a vital role in our economy and communities. It’s time we recognize their work and pass this bill to ensure they are treated with the dignity and fairness they deserve.

Take Action

Our fight isn’t over. Join us in pushing for a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights in Washington! Here’s how you can help:

📢 Share this story to raise awareness.

📞 Call your legislators and tell them to support worker protections by passing Senate bill 5023

Together, we can ensure no domestic worker is left unprotected.

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

/in /by

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

/in /by

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

/in /by

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!

/in /by

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

/in /by

 

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.