• State Senate (10th): Republican State Rep. Marguerite Quinn and former State Vote for Rep. Steve Santarsiero (D) are vying for the seat now held by Republican Chuck McIlhinney. McIlhinney decided not to run for another term.

• State Senate (6th): vote for Democrat State Rep. Tina Davis is challenging Republican incumbent Robert Tomlinson.

• State Rep. (31st): Former Newtown Township Supervisor Ryan Gallagher (R) is challenging vote for incumbent Democrat State Rep. Perry Warren.

• State Rep. (140th): State Rep. John Galloway (D) is unopposed.

• State Rep. (141st): Business owner Anthony Sposato (R) is challenging vote for incumbent Democrat Tina Davis.

• State Rep. (142nd): Vote for Business owner and single Mom Lauren Lareau (D) is challenging incumbent Republican State Rep. Frank Farry

Help end the trump Trifecta !

resource: buckslocalnews.com

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A Town Hall for a Domestic Worker Bill of Rights, Investing in Human Infrastructure, and Expanding Affordable Housing Options!

05/16/2018 Nativegrl77

Are you a domestic worker or employer, or do you want to know more about potential legislation? As you may have heard, Seattle City Council, in collaboration with domestic workers, is considering legislation to create a Domestic Worker Bill of Rights! Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda (Pos. 8, Citywide) has been holding Town Halls across Seattle to hear from workers and employers, and has one more scheduled for online participation NEXT WEEK.

Tune in with your questions next Tuesday, May 22, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The event will be simulcast in English and Spanish, and will help Councilmember Mosqueda and staff craft legislation that meets the safety and well-being needs of workers and employers.

Moving Forward with Progressive Revenue for Affordable Housing

I am pleased that we have advanced a progressive revenue option that will bring in nearly $50M a year to house our neighbors experiencing homelessness and provide critical health services to those living unsheltered on the streets of Seattle. This success has happened thanks to the work and support of community members, Labor, housing advocates, and council colleagues working together toward a successful result.I voted in support of a plan that will have a meaningful impact on addressing our homelessness crisis by building housing and providing health services. We know that alone, however, this investment is not enough.

Our neighbors are quite literally dying on the doorsteps of prosperity. We have a moral obligation to take action to provide a safe place to sleep tonight and to make investments in permanently affordable housing. We know where the bottleneck is. People cannot move into shelter when shelters are at capacity, and people cannot move out of shelter when there is no affordable housing to move into.

This is the beginning of a conversation about the values of our city, one that will extend into this budget season. Quick fixes over sustainable, long-term solutions leave more people unsheltered. We must instead make the tough choices to pass progressive revenue, follow the data to move forward on a path that doesn’t simply hide extreme poverty from sight, and address our homelessness emergency as a public health crisis.

I will continue to work to ensure that we are able to maximize production of affordable units, by not selling public land to the highest bidder but instead building affordable housing on public land, changing zoning restrictions, promoting good living wage job standards as we build, and ensure that no person’s zip code determines their health and housing access. Everyone who works in Seattle should be able to live in the city they work. With yesterday’s action and through continued collaboration with community and colleagues, I know we can make strides in that direction. This is a critical step in the right direction.

What’s Next for AADU/DADUs?

A Backyard Cottage in Ballard

You may have heard – the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) has been released for the proposed bill that makes adding an accessory dwelling unit to your house less onerous. As part of a larger set of measures that will have a meaningful, positive impact on creating more affordable housing options, while giving homeowners a way to both contribute directly to the need while bringing in some extra income.

Before the City Council can move forward with this piece of the affordability puzzle, the State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA) process must conclude. Right now, comments are being sought regarding the DEIS, which will ultimately lead to a final EIS, along with a preferred option for Council to consider.

It’s an admittedly complex process, but this is a great chance for YOU to weigh in on what you think the final option should look like. Should we keep the status quo? All of Option 2 or 3? Or some hybrid? Click here to read the report, the summary, and instructions on submitting comment!

Speaking of Affordable Housing…

Plaza Roberto Maestes, a Community Driven Affordable Housing Complex on Beacon Hill

Did you know that it’s Affordable Housing Week? To celebrate, we not only provided funding for permanently affordable homes for those experiencing homelessness, but in the Housing, Health, Energy, & Workers’ Rights Committee, we will be receiving a presentation this week from Enterprise Community Partners identifying publicly owned properties that are prime for affordable homes to be built.

This is a continuation of work we are doing, in collaboration with community and colleagues, to take every step we can to reduce the cost to build affordable homes. Where we can utilize surplus and under-utilized government land to focus affordable housing, we have an opportunity to reduce the cost. By collaborating with community organizations, we can create more partnerships that lead to housing with community amenities – like parks, education, and community centers – incorporated. Much like El Centro de la Raza’s Plaza Roberto Maestes, this type of community-led project leads to excellent outcomes for our neighborhoods.

Tune in via Seattle Channel, or stream online, this Thursday, May 17, at 9:30 a.m. Also, make sure to sign up for agendas so you can keep up with legislation as it moves through the HHEWR committee!

In Solidarity,

Teresa Mosqueda
Seattle City Council Councilmember, Position 8
teresa.mosqueda@seattle.gov
206-684-8806

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Gig workers ~ who will rate the raters?

05/16/2018 Nativegrl77

“If I could afford to go on a vacation sometime, the flexibility would be great — but I’m too far in debt to even think about that.”

— Chris, DoorDash driver, Everett

Dear Friends,

Having a flexible schedule & not having a boss are two of the best things about working in the “gig economy.” But it’s not enough.

Billions of dollars are pouring into this growing industry — and workers simply aren’t seeing enough of it. Gig workers aren’t covered by the minimum wage. They aren’t receiving compensation for all the time and money they spend working. And they aren’t getting clear breakdowns of the work they’re doing and the pay they’re getting for it.

“Though I personally love the flexibility of the work schedule, all those hours are still hours away from my family, trying to provide for them, and if my time and effort are not compensated fairly, then I am away from them for nothing.”

— Marina, Postmates/DoorDash driver, Bothell

Most of these apps have strict five-star “rating systems” for their workers. But no one’s rating the companies on how they treat their workers — until now.

App companies love metrics and formulas, so we’re speaking to them in a language they understand and telling them if they want five stars from us, they need to follow these five policies:

★ PAY FOR ALL OUR WORK: Compensate workers for the entire job, including time/mileage spent getting to the passenger, restaurant, business, or client.
★ $15 AFTER EXPENSES: Guarantee a baseline hourly pay of at least $15/hour after expenses for workers who are “on the clock” (logged into their app and actively accepting jobs) — not just during promotions, but on a regular basis.
★ ITEMIZED BREAKDOWN: Give workers an itemized breakdown of pay, including mileage, tips, time, company fees, and other factors.
★ NO TIP THEFT: Pay all tips and “service fees” fully and directly to workers — do not factor tips into base pay or mislead customers into believing “service fees” are being paid to workers.
★ TIMELY PAY: Compensate workers on a timely, regular basis, at least once every two weeks.

Click here to sign on and stand with gig workers: All gig companies should be five-star companies.

“I need a raise. Since I started driving two years ago, my rent goes up every nine months. Every time I renew it, they add more money to the rent. But Uber and Lyft’s rates stay the same.”

— Peter, Uber/Lyft driver, SeaTac

These are basics all workers need. We shouldn’t have to ask to be paid for all our work or given an honest breakdown of how much we’re making. But gig workers won’t get these basics unless we hold the companies accountable for providing them. Click here to learn more about these demands and stand with Chris, Marina, and Peter for better pay and pay transparency in the gig economy.

Thanks for your support,
Working Washington

P.S. Once you’ve signed your name, check out Chris, Marina, and Peter’sstories to learn more about what’s going on for workers in the gig economy.

workingwa.org