13 hours ago
Efforts to pass worker's bill of rights, $20 minimum wage in Tacoma advance
Organizers with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union 367 chapter and the Tacoma Democratic Socialists of America on Tuesday submitted signatures for a ballot initiative that could establish a 'Worker's Bill of Rights.'
The two groups started the process of getting the initiative on the ballot in February, when they submitted a proposal to increase protections for workers in Tacoma with new policies like a $20 minimum wage. In submitting the roughly 10,000 signatures at city hall on June 24, UFCW 367 and the Tacoma DSA are one step closer in the city's initiative process.
After submitting the draft of their initiative in February, the organizers had about six months to collect valid signatures from at least 10 percent of people who voted in the last mayoral election. They told The News Tribune in March that they planned to have at least 8,000 by early July. It's now up to the county auditor to verify the signatures, and the city clerk to validate the petition.
As long as that happens, it would be up to the city council to enact or reject the initiative, according to the city. If the council enacts the petition, their approval would be the final say, eliminating the need to put the initiative to the voters. If council rejects the initiative, then it would be on the ballot.
According to the city, if the council rejects the initiative or fails to take action within 30 days, the initiative would end up on the ballot for the next municipal or general election that's at least 90 days from when the signatures are validated — which organizers estimate could take 30 days. That means there's a possibility it could end up on the November ballot, or it could be part of a special election that happens sooner.
If a majority of voters approve the initiative, it'll go into effect 10 days after the election results are certified.
'It's been much easier than we thought to get people to sign on to this,' union president Michael Hines told The News Tribune.
The organizers put forward two versions of the initiative in February, which are largely similar but Version 2 has stronger penalties for violations of the bill of rights and stronger language outlining worker protections for fair scheduling and hours. Colton Rose, an organizer with the union, told The News Tribune that after hearing from residents through the process of getting signatures, the union decided to pursue Version 1 — the one with more lenient penalties.
The Worker's Bill of Rights would require every employer in Tacoma with more than 500 employees to pay their staff at least $20 an hour, and any employer with between 16 and 500 employees must pay their staff at least $18 an hour. That rate drops to $17 an hour for employers with 15 or fewer employees.
Minimum wage in the state of Washington is currently $16.66 per hour, which also currently applies to Tacoma. Cities like Seattle and Bellingham have different rates, at $20.76 per hour and $18.66 per hour, respectively.
It also, among other things, would require employers to create a safety plan to protect workers and consumers in case of violence or a natural disaster, and would require them to give employees an estimate of their work schedules at least 14 days in advance.
As city and county officials work to validate the signatures, a process that could take 30 days, Rose said organizers are still in the process of collecting more signatures in case they fall short of the number of signatures required.
Hines said organizers are optimistic that the initiative will receive the support it needs from voters.
'I remember the days when you could be a single mom and a checker and pay your rent or buy a house, and that's pretty hard to do now based on what these companies are doing with the schedules,' Hines said. 'I think there's a lot of empathy from the community.'
