WA State – New COVID-19 Worker Protection Rules

WA State – New COVID-19 Worker Protection Rules – Labor & Industries (L&I) has new workplace regulations covering masks, farmworker housing, ag warehouses/packing operations, grocery stores, COVID worker’s comp coverage, and enforcement for businesses ignoring pandemic orders. See L&I’s COVID News webpage: https://www.lni.wa.gov/agency/outreach/novel-coronavirus-outbreak-covid-19-resources

Seattle – New COVID-19 Worker Protection Rules

Gig Worker Paid Sick Leave – new temporary law allows some gig workers to take paid leave to care for their own health and safety, or the health and safety of a family member, under some circumstances during the Covid-19 emergency. For more info: https://www.seattle.gov/laborstandards/ordinances/covid-19-gig-worker-protections-/gig-worker-paid-sick-and-safe-time-ordinance?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Hazard Pay for Food Delivery Gig Workers – Seattle’s emergency rule provides a minimum of $2.50 premium pay for gig workers delivering food and beverage meals and groceries. For more info: https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/WASEATTLE-292d6d0?wgt_ref=WASEATTLE_WIDGET_99

Winning Health and Safety in Your Workplaces During COVID-19 – July 23rd 5:30 PM

For Washington’s essential workers, health and safety issues have been a major issue since the COVID-19 pandemic struck Washington in late February. For other workers now coming back into the workplace, questions about health and safety loom large. Register Here

This webinar will feature national health and safety expert Jessica Martinez, National Co-Director, National Council for Occupational Health and Safety (NCOSH) in addition to several other local labor leaders.  Ms. Martinez was recently featured on MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show speaking about safety in meatpacking plants. She will present findings and safety guidelines from NCOSH’s new report, “A Safe and Just Return to Work.”

This will be the first in a series of Labor Center webinars on winning safe and healthy workplaces during a global pandemic.

Share Your Experiences                                                  REGISTER HERE

Do you have a story to tell about the work you and your organization have been doing to make your workplace safe? We’d like to hear about it and feature your work in a future webinar.
Contact David West (david.l.west@seattlecolleges.edu), or Emilie Slater (emilie.slater@seattlecolleges.edu)
and share your story.

COVID-19 Workers’ Rights Webinars – Washington workers have new rights and benefits to help us through the crisis. Join the Labor Center to learn more about applying for new programs. Registration is open to everyone. Language interpretation available. Pre-registration is required—an email address is required to register. Participants will receive invitations to future webinars and other educational events. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mlQN7W9USmOj1eZwmTs0pg

NEW! The whole series of the Labor Center’s Covid-19 webinars will be permanently available on our YouTube Channel using this link: Labor Center-YouTube-playlist. View recent webinars on:

• Paid Sick and Family Medical Leave Options
• Housing Security and the Eviction Moratorium
• How to sign up for Health Insurance
• Unemployment

Unemployment Resources/Links

• Unemployment Law Project
  • Internet: http://unemploymentlawproject.org/covid-19/
  • Spanish: http://unemploymentlawproject.org/wp-ontent/uploads/2017/01/Spanish.pdf
  • Webinars every Monday at 12:00 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/729993431
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnemploymentLawProject
  • FAQ Immigrant Workers’ Rights and COVID19: https://www.nelp.org/publication/faq-immigrant-workers-rights-and-covid-19/
• Employment Security Dept. (ESD) Info Sheet on COVID 19
  • English: https://esd.wa.gov/newsroom/covid-19
  • Spanish: https://esd.wa.gov/newsroom/covid-19-coronavirus-info-spanish
• National Employment Law Project
  • Immigrant Workers Access to Unemployment in English https://bit.ly/2QYA89d
  • Immigrant Workers Access to Unemployment in Spanish: https://s27147.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/SPANISH_Immigrant-Workers-Eligibility-Unemployment-Insurance.pdf

Other COVID-19 Resources

• WA State Labor Council
  • COVID-19 Resource Guide: https://www.wslc.org/covid-19/ English and Espanol
  • Help for Working Families: https://www.wslc.org/ffwf
• Department of Health COVID-19 information
  • English: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus
  • Spanish: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/NovelCoronavirusOutbreak2020COVID19/CoronavirusSpanish
  • Dept. of Health Workplace COVID-19 Fact Sheet/Resources  COVID-19/Workplace
• COVID-19 Relief Fund for WA Undocumented Folks
  • Apply for help: https://www.scholarshipjunkies.org/relief
• WA Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN)
  • Call the WA Immigrant Solidarity Network Hotline for up to date information for immigrants about your rights and help available with basic needs and workers’ rights during the time of the coronavirus. Call 844-724-3737 every day. Volunteers speak Spanish and English and will find support in other languages.
    Llame a la Linea Directa de la Red de Solidaridad de Inmigrantes de Washington para información para inmigrantes sobre sus derechos y ayuda disponible con los necesidades básicos y los derechos de los trabajadores en la época de la coronavirus, Llame a 844-724-3737 todos los dias. Las voluntarias hablan inglés y español y encontrará ayuda en otros ideomas.
  • Internet: https://www.waisn.org
  • Phone: (800) 844-724-3737
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WAimmigrantsolidaritynetwork/

  For information on your rights to paid sick leave, paid family medical leave, unemployment and workers’ compensation, see our Basic Rights #1 and #2 above.

For information on your rights to paid sick leave, paid family medical leave,  unemployment and workers’ compensation, see our Basic Rights #1 and #2 above. The external links below also have important information about other programs and resources you might need:

Washington Department of Health Workplace COVID-19 Fact Sheet and Resources  COVID-19/Workplace

Washington State Labor Council  COVID-19 Resources for Workers

COVID-19 Outbreak Resources   AFL-CIO COVID-19 Resources

Teamsters COVID-19 Emergency Resources Guide: https://www.teamsters117.org/covid19

WA Employment Security’s COVID Unemployment Resource Page: https://esd.wa.gov/newsroom/covid-19

Paid Family and Medical Leave is a new benefit for employees in Washington beginning January 2020. It provides paid time off when a serious health condition prevents you from working or when workers need time to care for a family member or a new child. Paid Family and Medical Leave is available to almost everyone working in Washington. See Chapter 2.2

The Washington statewide minimum wage will increase to $13.50/hour, and Seattle’s minimum hourly wage will increase to $16.39 for large employers and $13.50 to $15.75 at small employers. For more details, see Chapter 1, Your Right to be Paid

Beginning in 2020, Washington employers will no longer be able to use “non-compete agreements” to stop workers who earn less than $100,000 a year (or less than $250,000 a year for independent contractors) from going to work for other businesses in the same industry. These agreements have mushroomed recently in service jobs. For details, see  Chapter 1.9