Marking International Workers' Day with a local flavor, Seattle's Office of Labor Standards (OLS) is set to lead a city-wide outreach and education initiative tomorrow, May 1, aimed at spreading the word about workers' rights across multiple Seattle districts. The OLS will start their effort at 10:30 AM at the booSH Nursery in the heart of the Central District.
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In a gesture to both educate and enforce, the OLS team is prepared to knock on doors in Districts 1, 2, 3, and 7 to simultaneously inform and to ensure businesses and workers are up to speed with the city's labor laws. According to News from the City of Seattle, OLS Director Steven Marchese noted the significance of the day's activities: "OLS is proud to continue a tradition we started in 2019 of celebrating International Workers' Day with door-to-door outreach to businesses and workers."
The event sees collaboration with not just municipal departments but also local community leaders and advocacy groups. Representatives from various Seattle community organizations, including Villa Comunitaria and the Chinese Information Service Center (CISC), have voiced their support for the initiative. Villa Comunitaria's Maribel Pastor told Seattle government news, "Partnering with the OLS has given us the confidence to engage with the community using the right tools and accurate information to educate workers about their rights and create awareness in the workplace."
Seattle's pioneering work in worker protections is highlighted by OLS' impressive record of returning over $40 million in remedies to some 80,000 workers since its inception. This year alone, nearly $3.9 million has already been handed out to over 3,000 individuals as per the News from the City of Seattle. OLS' efforts, as Shawn and Julissa McWashington of booSH Nursery summed up in a Seattle government news interview, are part of a broader strategy to support local economies. "We know that small businesses are the heartbeat of our local economies, when we support them, we empower families, create jobs, and foster economic growth," they noted.
