CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to employment in Seattle; establishing labor standards for domestic workers; establishing a Domestic Workers Standards Board; prescribing remedies and enforcement procedures; amending Section 6.208.020 of the Seattle Municipal Code; and adding a new Chapter 14.23 to the Seattle Municipal Code.
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WHEREAS, domestic workers provide valuable services as nannies, house cleaners, home care workers, gardeners, cooks and household managers; and
WHEREAS, the labor domestic workers provide is an important contribution to The City of Seattle's (City) economy and prosperity, and provides the support services that enable other individuals to participate in the workforce; and
WHEREAS, many domestic workers are women, immigrants, and people of color who work in or about private homes, isolated from other workers; and
WHEREAS, the City is committed to eliminating racial disparities and achieving racial equity in Seattle through implementation of the Race and Social Justice Initiative; and
WHEREAS, since 2007 the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) has advocated for respect for domestic workers by including them in national, state, and local labor protection laws; and
WHEREAS, in 2011 and 2012 the NDWA surveyed 2,086 domestic workers in 14 metropolitan areas, including Seattle; conducted 29 focus group interviews and collected 52 testimonies from members of domestic worker organizations; and found low pay, lack of benefits, and problematic working conditions throughout the industry; and
WHEREAS, in Seattle workers have established the Seattle Domestic Workers Alliance (SDWA), a project of Working Washington, with support from Casa Latina, SEIU 775, and the NDWA; and
WHEREAS, the Seattle Domestic Workers Alliance (SDWA) surveyed 174 nannies, house cleaners, and gardeners in Seattle in both English and Spanish and found that 53 percent of the surveyed workers did not r...
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