Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Seattle Office of Labor Standards highlights enforcement wins, warns of funding strain
Summary
The Office of Labor Standards told a Seattle City Council committee it has recovered more than $62 million for workers but faces shrinking general-fund support and rising enforcement demands; staff outlined plans to use a new network-company licensing fee for app-based worker implementation and to deepen regional enforcement partnerships.
The Seattle Office of Labor Standards told the City Council's Human Services, Labor and Economic Development Committee on Feb. 6 that the office has recouped more than $62 million for workers since becoming a department but is navigating budget cuts and new enforcement responsibilities.
"Over the lifespan of our department since we became a department in 2017, we've been able to recoup over $62,000,000 for workers," said Steve Marchese, director of the Office of Labor Standards, during a presentation to the committee. Marchese said the office now enforces 16 local labor laws, up from five in 2017, and currently operates with about 35 full-time staff.
The department outlined three broad program areas: community partnerships and outreach, tailored business assistance, and strategic enforcement. Karen Levidis, policy manager, summarized the portfolio of laws OLS enforces, including minimum wage, paid…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
