BossFeed Briefing for February 1, 2021. Last Tuesday, the Economic Policy Institute released a new report estimating that a $15 federal minimum wage would raise pay for 32 million workers nationwide. Last Thursday, Governor Inslee announced relaxed public health rules for indoor dining, which is open in several WA counties starting today. Tomorrow is Groundhog Day, in honor of which big businesses will see the shadow of a tax and hide. Also tomorrow, the state House Finance Committee will hold a hearing on a proposed billionaire wealth tax—you can sign-up to testify in support by clicking here. Saturday is the 102nd anniversary of the first day of the Seattle General Strike.
Three things to know this week:
The WA state legislature passed the unbalanced “unemployment reform” bill this weekend, without ever holding a hearing in the House. This bill reduces business taxes immediately, raises the minimum benefit for many workers in July, does nothing for tens of thousands of workers who have been left behind by the crisis in our state’s unemployment system, and even creates a new subminimum benefit for the lowest-paid workers.
Last week, workers at large grocery chains in Seattle won a $4/hr hazard pay law, which will remain in place for the duration of the pandemic emergency. Over the summer, Seattle gig workers with the PayUp campaign won first-in-the-country emergency hazard pay and sick leave laws.
Evans Fruit in Yakima, a fruit processing company, was fined $150,000 by the state for willful violations of COVID-safety rules. Workers reported that management was not implementing social distancing and mask-wearing safety measures.
Two things to ask:
Wait, so you’re saying rich people cut the line? Overlake Hospital invited major donors to an exclusive “invite only” COVID vaccination clinic, prompting a public backlash. Hospital administrators then explained that the invitation was “never intended to be a donor event.”
Wonder if they checked references? Former WA Employment Security Department commissioner Suzi Levine starts her new job with the Biden Administration today, where she’ll be leading the federal office that helps states manage unemployment benefits. The promotion comes after a year of failure to pay benefits promptly to unemployed workers.
And one thing that's worth a closer look:
Cooks and other food workers are more likely to die from COVID-19 than any other workers outside of healthcare, according to a new study from researchers at the University of California San Francisco. The study found that these essential workers face a 20% greater chance of dying from the coronavirus during the pandemic in general—and a 40% greater chance of dying during the first two months of the state’s reopening last spring. Right as these numbers hit the news, WA announced plans to waive public health rules and allow indoor dining in several counties starting today. The new data from CA underscores the urgency of what WA restaurant workers have been saying for months: state leaders need to do what it takes to protect workers’ lives and provide funds to workers so they can actually stay home safe.
Read this far?
Consider yourself briefed, boss.
Let us know what you think about this week's look at the world of work, wages, and inequality!