AN ORDINANCE relating to The City of Seattle’s Office of Labor Standards; adding a new Section 3.15.007 to the Seattle Municipal Code; amending Ordinance 125207, which adopted the 2017 Budget, changing appropriations for the Office of Labor Standards and authorizing cash transfers to support appropriations changes; and establishing a special Office of Labor Standards Subfund to guarantee annual funding of The City of Seattle’s Office of Labor Standards from the City’s existing business license tax revenues.
To be part of the Affordable Housing Neighborhoods and Finance Committee and Item seven Council vote 118 915 relating to the City of Seattle's Office of Labor Standards, adding a new section 3.15 .007 to the Seattle Code and then the ordinance 25 to 0 seven, which is applied to 2017 budget changing preparations for the Office of Labor Standards and authorizing cash transfer to support appropriations changes. And establishing a Special Office of Labor Standards up front to guarantee annual funding of the City Sales Office of Labor Standards from the city's existing business license tax revenue. The committee recommends the bill pass. Councilmember Burgess. Thank you very much. This legislation is advanced by council members Herbold, Johnson, Suarez and myself to resolve the discussions around the permanent dedicated funding for the Office of Labor Standards. This legislation creates a sub fund within the General Fund, which will be filled with proceeds from the existing business license tax, commonly referred to as the business and occupation tax. This legislation also requires that the Director of the Office of Labor Standards certify by September 1st of each year the level of funding required to maintain the oil, US enforcement and employ and employer outreach and education activities for the following year. That amount will be come the minimum annual contribution that would be reflected in the Mayor's proposed budget to the City Council for the following year. This compromise legislation is supported by Labor and business organizations in the city and the committee urges its adoption. What, if any, of the committee members or co-sponsors would be interested in speaking to the bill? Councilmember Herbold. Thank you. I want to thank Councilmember Burgess for working to craft this compromise and allowing me to join him in its support. It's really important to fund education outreach, and it's important for Seattle to lead the way in our and our commitment to do so. Not only are our laws only as good as our enforcement, our enforcement is only as good as our financial commitment to pay for that enforcement enforcement. A recent study in April done by the University of Washington found that 72% of workers, including 91% of immigrant workers, did not know about or just had a vague understanding about their rights under the minimum wage. We now have six different local labor laws and the threat. A loss of federal funding to the city of Seattle's varied departments has has never been more real. So the the need to identify a funding source so that should that should that occur is is incredibly important. And it's not only an important important to to workers here in the city. I think it's important to the the workers movement in the nation. So thank you. Thank you. Councilmember. Well snaps from the audience. I'm not seeing any other folks who would like to make testimony. Okay. So let's call the role on the passage of the bill. So on. I thank Shawn Burgess Gonzalez I Herbold II whereas O'Brien President Johnson I eight in favor and unopposed. The bill passes and the chair will sign it. Thank you. There are well deserved applause Let's go. Now that concludes our agenda. And last, anyone else has anything they'd like to bring forward. Then I would just like to say thank you for your patience in allowing a rookie to take over today. This wasn't the easiest meeting we've had, but I appreciate you sticking with me through it. That concludes today. We're adjourned. Thank you. Rob.