Title
Discussion of a Public Engagement Process to Consider How to Address Minimum Wage, Fair Scheduling and Workplace Safety
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
The Finance Committee recommends discussing a public engagement process to consider how to address minimum wage, fair scheduling and workplace safety.
City Manager Recommendation:
Discuss a public engagement process to consider how to address minimum wage, fair scheduling and workplace safety in the City of Olympia.
Report
Issue:
Whether to discuss a public engagement process to consider how to address minimum wage, fair scheduling and workplace safety in the City of Olympia.
Staff Contact:
Stacey Ray, Assistant City Manager, 360.753.8046.
Presenter(s):
Stacey Ray, Assistant City Manager
Background and Analysis:
The City Council has been exploring ways to improve local economic opportunity and resiliency for community members since 2015. At that time, the intent was to catalyze a regional conversation on workplace wages, sick and safe leave, and predictability of work scheduling. The City Council did not take formal action.
Shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic, a regional coalition of stakeholders came together to address economic response and recovery for businesses and community members in Thurston County. A 24-month plan, including strategies to address major economic stability challenges exposed by the pandemic, was developed and implemented.
As a next step, the City of Olympia embarked on developing its own strategies to address local economic opportunity and resiliency. Known as Olympia Strong, the resulting strategies were accepted by City Council on September 10, 2024, as the City’s priorities for creating and maintaining economic opportunity for those struggling in our community.
Through widespread community member, partner organization, and economic sector engagement, Olympia Strong identified the greatest and most persistent economic challenges for individuals; among them were housing instability, increased cost of living, limited upward mobility, affordable workforce housing, systemic inequality and discrimination, and a desire for higher-wage jobs. The Olympia Strong strategies are intended to respond by helping close the exacerbated equity gaps in our economy and supporting financial stability for a greater number of Olympia community members. The City Council accepted the strategies identified in Olympia Strong in September 2024.
Earlier this year the City Council received a letter from the Thurston-Lewis-Mason Central Labor Council and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 367 requesting consideration of a “Workers’ Bill of Rights.” The document outlines various proposals aimed at expanding worker protections, including raising the minimum wage, ensuring fair scheduling, and improving workplace safety. The letter also outlines the organizations’ intent to place a ballot initiative addressing the above proposals before Olympia voters in November 2025.
At the City Council’s September 16, 2024, Finance Committee meeting, Committee members discussed an initial draft scope, process and timeline for prioritizing and considering an increase in minimum wage. In response to the Committee’s discussion, Councilmembers and staff received a significant amount of input from a diversity of community members concerned about having time and opportunity to better understand the issue and provide input for Council consideration.
At a subsequent Finance Committee meeting on October 7, 2024, the Finance Committee refined its approach to include a discussion on the full Workers’ Bill of Rights and a broader engagement strategy, beginning in 2025, and requested a conversation with the full City Council around these elements.
The purpose of this agenda item is for the City Council to discuss developing a thorough and thoughtful process for considering minimum wage, fair scheduling, and improving workplace safety. Staff will put forward a proposal to support a discussion. The intent is to consider a process that includes elements of research, data analysis, fiscal and resource impact analysis, and listening sessions with a broad diversity of community members, employers, and other interested groups.
Climate Analysis:
There are no anticipated climate impacts from developing a scope of work, engagement process, and timeline for addressing minimum wage, fair scheduling, and workplace safety.
Equity Analysis:
Community members bringing forward these topics for the City Council consideration are doing so with the intent to improve conditions and livability for employees who make the lowest wages in the region. Data cited by labor groups conveys that the current wage estimate needed for an individual to support themselves working full time in the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater region is $24.01 for a single adult and $41.53 for an adult and one child. Findings from the United Way on ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households include that while ALICE households are diverse, financial hardship is felt more substantially by Black, Indigenous and People of Color in Washington, calling attention to inequities in the state and local economies.
Staff will propose as part of this process an economic impacts analysis to better understand the impacts of an increase in minimum wage on workers, businesses of various sizes and different industries, and other kinds of employers, such as non-profits, and other government entities.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Staff and Councilmembers have experienced significant community interest in these topics, as they will impact working conditions for lower-wage earners, such as the retail, grocery, and food service business sectors, as well as the owners/operators and customers of those businesses. Any proposed process will include further economic impact and demographic analysis to better understand and consider who is impacted most and how by all potential options.
Financial Impact:
There is no funding request associated with developing and implementing a scope of work and community and stakeholder engagement process for addressing minimum wage, fair scheduling, and workplace safety.
Staff support for this work effort will primarily be from within the City Manager’s Office. Positions within the City that have traditionally led and supported this kind of strategic engagement and policy analysis work are slated to be eliminated in 2025 due to necessary budget reductions. Any conversation about resourcing this proposal will need to be considered in conjunction with other items of importance on the City’s 2025 Work Plan.
If Council determines after the outreach and engagement process to move forward with implementation, there may be additional funding needs associated with development of an ordinance, education and outreach to the community on the newly established regulations, as well as management of implementation and the providing of technical expertise and education on an ongoing basis for those who are impacted.
Further analysis is also needed to fully understand the community-wide impacts of addressing minimum wage, fair scheduling, and workplace safety.
Options:
1. Discuss a public engagement process to consider how to address minimum wage, fair scheduling and workplace safety in the City of Olympia.
2. Do not discuss a public engagement process to consider how to address minimum wage, fair scheduling and workplace safety in the City of Olympia.
3. Hold the discussion at another time.
Attachments:
Letter to City Council: Workers’ Bill of Rights