Nearly $3 Million Dollar Funding Begins January 2022
Seattle, WA (December 14, 2021) – The Office of Labor Standards (OLS) awards $2,998,179.17 in nine contracts representing 15 local community organizations. The two-year contracts from 2022-2023 begin January 2022. The Community Outreach and Education Fund (COEF) partners will use the funding to expand outreach, education, and technical assistance to Seattle workers about the City’s labor standards.
After an extensive Request for Proposal process, the following nine organizations and collaborative partners were selected as the 2022-2023 COEF Awardees (subject to confirmation of recipients).
Awardees, who will begin scope of work and contract negotiations with OLS in December and January:
- API Chaya
- Brothers United in Leadership Development
- Casa Latina and Collaborative Partners
- Entre Hermanos
- Villa Communitaria
- WA Wage Claim Project
- Chinese Information Services Center
- El Centro de la Raza
- Eritrean Association of Greater Seattle
- Fair Work Center and Collaborative Partners
- Al Noor Islamic Center
- LGBTQ Allyship
- Somali Community Services in Seattle.
- United Indians of All Tribes Foundation
- West African Community Council
“We are grateful for this opportunity to continue our work in helping immigrant workers to understand their rights at work and advancing workplace equity in Seattle,” Hueiling Chan, Program Director/Case Management Clinical Director, Chinese Information Services Center.
“West African Community Council is proud to continue its partnership with the City of Seattle Office of Labor Standards (OLS). We have developed strong relationships with OLS staff to make sure West African workers’ voices are heard. In the last few years, we have worked tirelessly to empower our workers to entertain courageous and educated conversations with abusive employers,” said Issa Ndiaye, Founder and Executive Director of West African Community Council.
“OLS received more than $6 million in funding requests from 12 applicants, but we were only able to choose nine of those organizations. It was a difficult decision to make because all of the applicants are dedicated to supporting Seattle workers,” said OLS Director Steven Marchese. “OLS relies on our COEF partners as trusted organizations in the community, and lifelines to workers and support groups, to connect with low-wage working communities with the highest rates of workplace violations, including workers of color and immigrant and refugee workers. We are confident the final recipients will partner with OLS to lead the nation in the way workers are educated about Seattle’s labor standards.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the 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.
For more information on the 2022-2023 COEF partners please visit the OLS website here.
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