Op-Ed: Kirkland Must Raise its Wage Floor for Essential Workers
On October 6, Kirkland will be the first Eastside city to consider raising its minimum wage. Here's why Kirkland should take the leap.
Labor
Op-Ed: From the Bargaining Table to Olympia, Educators Need Our Support Now
Seattle's teachers union is fighting for a better contract, with reducing class sizes and preventing special education cuts among top aims. It's an issue state legislators have long let fester, says Kelabe Tewolde, an educator and state House candidate in the 37th LD.
Washington Legislature Grapples with Slew of Bills Regulating AI
Washington state lawmakers are moving to regulate the encroachment of artificial intelligence (AI) in daily life, proposing at least 14 bills. But tech leaders are pushing back, and could call on the feds to try to strike down state regulations.
Seattle Approves Controversial Police Guild Contract, Three Councilmembers Dissent
In a 6-3 vote, Seattle City Council approved a police guild contract that falls short on officer accountability and continues to hinder civilian crisis responders. A parting gift from outgoing Mayor Bruce Harrell, the contract could hamstring the incoming administration of Katie Wilson.
Op-Ed: Seattle Council Must Reject Harrell’s Police Guild Contract, Demand Accountability
Seattle’s proposed police union contract once again fails to deliver even the meager reforms and accountability promised eight years ago, opines Howard Gale. With Seattle City Council set to vote on the contract this month, here’s the case for rejecting it.
Sound Transit Selects Private Bus Operator for Stride BRT Network
The $433 million contract with MV Transportation extends through 2032, and includes full start-up costs for the three Stride lines. It’s the first time that Sound Transit has contracted with a private operator for core transit services.
Harrell and SPOG Rush Police Contract, Hamstringing Civilian Responders, Accountability Agencies
While the Seattle Police Officers Guild scored a big raise and new benefits, the new labor contract negotiated by Mayor Bruce Harrell will continue to hamper the City’s new civilian crisis response department and its police accountability agencies.
Harrell Pledges Seattle Will Be AI Leader, Plan Fuzzy on Details
Last week, Mayor Bruce Harrell announced the City’s new AI Plan, which looks to harness the current artificial intelligence boom in the tech sector by integrating AI into the City’s operations, public services, and civic engagement. But critics worry about the ethical implications of AI use in publi
Op-Ed: Seattle Should Ban Employers from Discriminating Against Unhoused Job Applicants
In the middle of a homelessness crisis, Seattle is still allowing employers to reject qualified job applicants simply because they don’t have a permanent address. That’s discrimination, and the Seattle City Attorney should lead the way in banning the practice.
The Urbanist Endorses Burien’s Measure 1 as Real Minimum Wage Boost
Burien residents should vote for Measure 1 because it will actually raise pay for low-wage workers. The Burien City Council has sought to muddy the waters, but their alternative is riddled with exemptions and a tip penalty that will largely erase the benefit to workers.
King County Grapples with Public Defender Crisis
Public defenders are warning that public defense as we know it is on course to collapse in King County and across the state if officials do not intervene with reforms and more resources.
Op-Ed: Higher Wages Are Needed Part of Seattle’s Housing Affordability Solution
The Fight for $15 has been won. Now housing affordability is Seattle’s biggest challenge. Repealing wage standards would be a setback.
Policy Lab: Why Are Seattle Restaurants So Expensive?
Seattle service workers are set to get a major wage hike, unless restaurant lobbyists get their way. But policymakers can support the restaurant industry in better ways than simply cutting worker pay.
Op-Ed: Seattle Council Won’t Get Away with Gutting Minimum Wage Law
The Seattle City Council is queuing up a debate on appropriate wages for service workers at smaller employers. At the behest of restaurant owners, Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth is seeking to cancel a scheduled minimum wage increase.
Policy Lab: We Want Bread, and Paid Vacation Too!
Most advanced nations mandate at least 20 working days of paid vacation per year, but not the United States. Here’s why we should change that.
Seattle Council Delays Vote to Cut Gig Pay, Equitable Development
Moves to cut the minimum wage for gig workers and squeeze Equitable Development Initiative projects for funding will have to wait for a future Seattle City Council meeting after their sponsors tabled the votes.
King County Metro Continues to Face Labor Pinch
King County Metro faces a bus driver shortage and a training bottleneck to address it as the agency seeks to staff up to boost service frequencies. Veteran drivers have pointed to need for more support for new drivers and safer conditions on buses.
Op-Ed: Why We’re Taking Burien’s Minimum Wage to the Ballot Box
Raise the Wage Burien is bringing together a coalition of workers, community groups, and labor unions to gather petition signatures to put a measure on the ballot this fall to raise Burien’s minimum wage to parity with nearby cities like Tukwila, SeaTac, Seattle, and Renton. In contrast, the city co
Local Labor Leaders Hope to Sustain ‘Year of the Union’ Momentum
2023 was a banner year for union organizing nationwide and locally, but much work remains in 2024 to sustain gains and expand on them. And corporate bosses are not taking this without a fight.
Op-Ed: Gig Worker Minimum Pay Law Makes Seattle More Livable for All
I am a disabled gig worker in Seattle who has shown up time and again over the course of five years, advocating to the Seattle City Council for fair pay and treatment of gig workers like me. In 2022, we won the nation’s first minimum wage for gig workers:
Voters Set to Decide on Raise The Wage Renton in February Ballot Measure
Renton voters have until February 13 to vote in a special election on the measure putting the city’s minimum wage in line with Tukwila and SeaTac.
Metro Seeing Early Signs of Labor Rebound and Ridership Momentum
Buoyed by a bump in compensation in new contract, Metro is ramping up bus driver recruitment and hopes to grow service by fall 2024. King County Metro is close to hitting its 99.7% service delivery target and has seen an uptick in recruiting mechanics and bus operators, according to
The Chamber of Commerce’s Seattle Budget Fix Is Slashing City Services and Freezing Wages
While running government like a business is a dream of chambers of commerce, businesses don’t freeze wages and spending when they need to hire and grow. The Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce has been banging the drum for austerity heading into the fall budget season. The City invited Chamber
Labor Day Lookback at Seattle’s General Strike of 1919
Seattle pioneered the general strike, which is worth commemorating on Labor Day. Labor Day was created by the United States Congress in 1894 after deadly and brutal clashes nationwide between workers and those who controlled working conditions. These days, Labor Day celebrations center around a three-day weekend, barbeques and
Seattle Releases Plan to Curb Climate Pollution from Buildings
Landlords are pushing to delay implementation schedules and lessen fees. When asked about the causes of climate change, most may picture cars, coal mines, and power plants. But fewer consider the buildings we occupy. Yet, our buildings represent a sizable portion of planet-warming emissions. Nationwide, residential and commercial buildings
Metro Gears Up To Tackle Its Worker Shortage
General Manager Michelle Allison said King County Metro is charting a path to growth, but recovery will take time. Last month King County Metro took the unusual step of announcing its fall service change in the spring. The reason: The agency is cutting service by 4% due to a labor
Supreme Court Rules Against Seattle-Based Workers
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against a local labor union Thursday in a decision that some in the labor movement say threatens union members’ right to strike. The decision came out of a 2017 lawsuit in which a cement company, Glacier Northwest, also called CalPortland, sued Teamsters Local 174
Minimum Wage Initiative Launches in Renton, Builds Off Successes in South King County
Hot off the coattails of a resounding electoral victory to raise the minimum wage in Tukwila, a new coalition has formed to launch a similar ballot initiative campaign in Renton. Dubbed “Raise the Wage Renton,” chief organizer Guillermo Zazueta announced the campaign’s launch alongside students, workers, and elected officials
Workers on the Frontlines of the Homelessness Crisis Deserve a Living Wage, Not Poverty Wages
Cops often earn triple the salaries of Seattle’s social service workers; pay inequity is undermining the city’s response to homelessness. Seattle’s response to homelessness hinges on workers earning about $40,000 per year. Is it any wonder then that hundreds of positions remain unfilled, turnover is high,
Seattle Passes ‘First of Its Kind’ Protections for App-Based Delivery Workers
Last week, the Seattle City Council unanimously passed a bill to ensure app-based delivery workers earn at least Seattle’s minimum wage of $17.27, among other protections. What sounds like a modest gain is actually an important achievement for labor, especially when considered in the broader gig-economy.
Transit Rider’s Union Leads Coalition Seeking to Raise Tukwila’s Minimum Wage
Ballot initiative would put the South King County city on par with Seattle and SeaTac Seeking to address regional gaps in the minimum wage, a coalition of organizations – including the Transit Riders Union, Puget Sound Sage, ReWA, and local labor unions – is gathering signatures to put an initiative on the
Corporations Push Back As Details Emerge on Seattle’s Pay Up Legislation for App-Based Workers
Yesterday battle lines emerged around Pay Up, the proposed suite of legislation aimed at ensuring Seattle’s growing number of app-based contract workers earn at least the minimum wage and receive basic protections similar to those held by employees. At a meeting of the Seattle City Council’s Public
‘Pay Up’ Legislation Aims To Ensure Seattle App-Based Workers Earn Minimum Wage Among Other Protections
Councilmembers Lisa Herbold (District 1) and Andrew Lewis (District 7) have unveiled Pay Up, a proposed bill intended to improve compensation and working conditions for app-based workers in Seattle. Under the legislation, app-based workers would be assured to earn at least the minimum wage. Additionally, both workers and
The Urbanist Podcast: The Far Reaching Impacts of the Concrete Worker Strike
In this episode, reporter Ray Dubicki and I were joined by Doug Trumm, Executive Director of The Urbanist, to discuss the concrete mixer driver strike that’s upended the construction sector throughout the fast growing Puget Sound region. The strike kicked off back in December when workers employed by the
County Proposes Concrete Co-Op as Private Companies Continue to Throttle Supply and Lock Out Workers
Last week, concrete drivers represented by Teamster Local No. 174 offered to return to work at three of the six concrete companies facing a strike. Those companies have mostly declined to do so, which prolongs the concrete shortage around the region. The concrete drivers’ strike is now in its 125th
Concrete Could Flow for West Seattle Bridge and Light Rail Projects as Teamsters Offer to Return to Work
Last night, Teamster 174 Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks announced an offer to resume to work on behalf of striking concrete drivers at three companies: Cadman Seattle, Lehigh Cement, and Salmon Bay Sand & Gravel. The offer would allow work to go ahead on West Seattle Bridge repairs, the $1.9
‘Slap in the Face’ Offer from Concrete Companies Riles Striking Teamsters
The Teamsters representing local concrete drivers rejected the latest offer from owners, which added just 15 cents to wages over three years. The concrete strike continues, shuttering construction sites across the region, and federal mediation has shown little sign of breaking the impasse. The latest offer from the six largest
Concrete Companies Stonewall Striking Truck Drivers, Threatening Cascading Construction Delays
Concrete is not flowing in King County and several high-profile infrastructure projects threaten to be delayed as a result. Concrete mixer drivers are striking for higher compensation on par with other building trade unions and a health plan that lowers cost for retired members, but the six largest concrete
Council Takes Initial Steps to Fix Childcare in Seattle
Of all the unexpected systems that the pandemic has laid bare, the crisis has shown childcare to be uniquely scattered and broken. By closing down the backbone of childcare for most people — the public school systems — families were left scrambling to make do. The news report euphemism was “balancing” childcare
Biden’s Jobs Plan Is Big, but Not Big Enough to Revolutionize Housing, Rail, and Broadband
President Joe Biden released his much anticipated $2.25 trillion dollar jobs and infrastructure plan today. Republican congressional leaders were quick to brand it as an overly large grab bag of progressive priorities, saying that like it was a bad thing. The breath of investments is a strength, but it
MLK County Labor Council Expels Seattle Police Guild as Contract Showdown Looms
The Martin Luther King County Labor Council voted Wednesday to remove the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) from its ranks, citing a need for antiracist practices. The move follows Seattle Police Department’s (SPD’s) violent response to recent protests of police murders. The vote was relatively close with several
Via to Transit On-Demand Shuttle Service Is Back
Social distancing and hygiene best practices will be incorporated into operations, but driver welfare remains a concern. Starting June 22th, Via to Transit, King County Metro’s on-demand shuttle service will resume its service to Rainier Beach, Othello, and Tukwila International Boulevard light rail stations. The service resumption occurs
Sunday Video: How San Francisco Erased A Neighborhood
Vox shares a story of colonization, racism, and gentrification that created and then erased a Filipino neighborhood in San Francisco. This story was repeated throughout American cities where migrant Filipinos—and other communities of color—settled for work, were restricted in where they could live,
How to Combat Ridehailing’s Ills
As someone who walks around Seattle on a regular basis, it is hard not to notice that a startling share of the cars whizzing down the street share a familiar look. The ubiquity of the Toyota Prius with a glowing dash is hard to miss. While our city has been
New Industrial Lands Committee Could Spark Reform or Add Another Saga to Seattle Process
Last week, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced she is convening an industrial lands stakeholder group to “guide development of strategies to ensure a strong industrial and maritime sector now and in the future.” The announcement was met with a mix of “didn’t we just do that” and “oh great, another
UAW4121 Joins the Youth Climate Strike
As the human tragedy of Hurricane Dorian lingers over the Bahamas, fires devastate Indigenous lands in the world’s largest rainforest, and democratic presidential candidates unroll climate proposals, the overwhelming urgency of climate change and the mourning for what has already been lost have become our constant companions. Here in
Apply to Work at The Urbanist
Last year we conducted our first fundraising drive and saw a tremendous amount of support. We are incredibly grateful for everyone who has made donations! And we hope readers continue to donate. These donations, coupled with advertising revenue and walking tour revenue, has made it possible to hire our first
Amazon Whittles the HQ2 Competition Down to 20
Last week Amazon announced progress on locating its second headquarters: 238 applicants have been whittled down to 20 finalists. The top 20 offer some hints at what factors matter most to Amazon. A third of the finalists are in the Acela corridor from Washington DC to Boston. The Washington DC
Seattle Approves New Ownership of Empty Pit Downtown
A long idle giant pit near Seattle City Hall is poised to get a new owner and perhaps new life. The Civic Square site, as it is known, has a storied history, but on Monday the Seattle City Council turned the page, voting to give their approval to new terms
What To Expect When Expecting Amazon
Amazon announced yesterday that the company is planning the search for a second headquarters in North America where it promises as many as 50,000 jobs. This launched a bout of hand-wringing from Washington state politicians worried the tech giant would bolt on us, reassuring themselves and Amazon that
Sunday Video: Seattle General Strike of 1919
Seattle made history in 1919 with the first general strike in American history. The strike stemmed from the industrial boom of World War I during which the federal government froze wages for defense-related industries and promised shipyard workers wage increases after the war to keep them from striking. The