Minority groups a focus in Seattle workers rights outreach grants

Ten Seattle groups will split $1 million in grants from Seattle Office of Labor Standards to boost community knowledge of workers rights, and many of the organizations focus on providing services minority groups.

According to a press release, the grants will help organizations provide outreach, education and technical assistance to Seattle’s workers about their rights under Seattle’s Minimum Wage, Wage Theft, Paid Sick and Safe Time and Job Assistance ordinances.

“These community partnerships will dramatically strengthen our reach and impact to uphold labor standards for Seattle’s workers, most importantly among those workers most likely to experience labor standards violations – including female workers, workers of color, immigrant and refugee workers, LGBTQ workers, and youth,” Office of Labor Standards Director Dylan Orr said in a prepared statement.

Organization activities will include door-to-door outreach, hosting community-based education events, developing training materials to educate workers and other organizations about Seattle’s labor standards, and providing labor rights intake, counseling, and referral for workers experiencing labor standards violations, according to the press release from Mayor Ed Murray’s office.

The organizations that will receive funding include:

• Casa Latina and Eritrean Association – $319,000, partnering with Entre Hermanos, South Park Information and Resource Center, South Park Neighborhood Center, Washington Community Action Network, Wage Claim Project
• Coalition of Immigrants, Refugees and Communities of Color – $65,000
• Chinese Information and Service Center – $60,000
• Eritrean Community – $60,000
• El Centro de la Raza – $25,000
• Fair Work Center – $376,000, partnering with Al Noor Islamic, Somali Community Services, NAACP, Latino Community Fund, Got Green, 21 Progress, LGBTQ Allyship and Puget Sound Sage.
• Millionaire Club – $3,500
• NAACP – $60,000
• Washington Community Action Network – $20,000
• Washington Wage Claim Project – $9,500

— Information from the city of Seattle

Venice Buhain

Venice Buhain is an online and print journalist whose work has appeared on TVW News, AOL/Patch, The Olympian and other news organizations. She is also the former Editorial Director at The Seattle Globalist. Venice has covered diversity, education, local news and politics. She also is a past Seattle chapter president of the Asian American Journalists Association.