For Immediate Release
Contact Information
Cynthia Santana
Phone: 206-256-5219
Email: cynthia.santana@seattle.gov
Seattle Office of Labor Standards Announces Request for Proposal for Two Year $3 Million Dollar Community Outreach and Education Fund
Seattle, WA (September 9, 2021) – The Office of Labor Standards (OLS) announces the availability of $3 million dollars in funding to expand outreach, education, and technical assistance to Seattle workers about the City’s labor standards. OLS will award two-year contracts totaling $1.5 million dollars per year for 2022 and 2023 to fund local community organizations. The 24-month contracting period begins in January 2022.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the current Community Outreach and Education Fund (COEF) has supported community-based organizations to educate more than 10,000 workers and provide technical assistance, including intake and complaint resolution services, and deepen partnerships between community organizations and OLS. The 2022-2023 funding cycle will likewise support groups that work with low wage working communities with the highest rates of workplace violations, including BIPOC workers and immigrant and refugee workers.
“Seattle continues to be a City that cares about our workers, and in recent years, we’ve passed new standards for workers including domestic workers, rideshare drivers, and hotel workers while continuing to protect minimum wage, secure scheduling, and paid sick and safe time. Our focus on building back better, and more equitably from the COVID-19 pandemic includes investing in Seattle workers – especially our low-wage workers, and BIPOC workers,” said Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan.
“Trusted community organizations are a lifeline to Seattle workers. OLS counts on our community partners to help us ensure workers know their rights and have support in the workplace. Recipients of this RFP funding have a big job ahead of them as we partner to lead the nation in the way workers are educated about Seattle’s labor standards,” said OLS Director Steven Marchese.
Application Process and Upcoming Workshops:
Completed applications and requests for interpretation at interviews must be received via email to OLS Engagement Specialist Megan Jackson at megan.jackson@seattle.gov no later than October 7, 2021, at 5:00 pm PST.
To view the full Request for Proposal and application requirements, including interview dates, visit the OLS website at https://www.seattle.gov/laborstandards/funding/community-outreach-and-education-fund/coef-2022-2023-request-for-proposal. Translations of RFP materials are available upon request by contacting megan.jackson@seattle.gov or call (206) 256-5218.
First time applicants are encouraged to attend a voluntary workshop before applying. This workshop will provide an overview of the work and discuss the requirements for a good proposal. See below for details:
2022 Community Outreach and Education Fund RFP Online Workshop Date: Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/COEF2022
Accessibility: To request an interpreter at the workshop, please contact Megan Jackson, Engagement Specialist, at megan.jackson@seattle.gov or (206) 256-5218 by September 13, 2021, at 5:00 pm PST. Applicants who are not able to attend, please contact megan.jackson@seattle.gov or call (206) 256-5218.
###