21st Annual May Day Celebration of Immigrant and Workers' Rights
 To our Community’s Essential Workers:
Today, the Office of Labor Standards (OLS) honors the 21st annual May Day Celebration of Immigrant and Worker’s Rights and Seattle’s tradition of protecting workers by lifting up you, our essential workers. We give our thanks to you who risk your own health and safety so that our families can stay home and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Your courage to:
- Be the first in line to respond to emergencies
- Provide us with healthcare, medical treatment, testing, and mental health services
- Care for the children, elders, and family members of essential workers
- Deliver packages, meals, and medicines to our households
- Transport us safely to essential places like doctor’s appointments and pharmacies
- Keep our lights on and clean water flowing into our homes
- Keep our garbage and recycling bins empty and keep our essential workplaces clean
- Grow and tend to our food and produce much needed supplies
- Keep the shelves of our grocery stores, pharmacies, and food banks stocked
- Keep our roads, airways, waterways, buildings and homes safe and sound
- Help us connect with our loved ones from safe distances by mail, phone, and online; and
- Do the countless other work that ensures our communities remain healthy
saves our lives.
From the OLS family to yours: Thank you.
OLS is hosting a Facebook event page where community members can share their gratitude for you by sharing a story, picture or video. Please check out these messages as the City honors you for working tirelessly during these difficult times.
To our broader OLS Community:
On May Day, as we celebrate our essential workers, we also want to thank the dedicated community partners of our Community and Business Outreach and Education Funds – the community leaders who provide the bulk of our direct labor standards outreach to workers and small business owners. Our partners have navigated significant changes in their own lives and in their work as a result of the pandemic. As they have done so, they have shown incredible resilience and courage in continuing to serve communities who have been deeply impacted by the outbreak: workers and business owners of color, immigrants, refugees, survivors of gender-based violence, and LGBTQ+ community members, among others.
For this, we thank you: 21 Progress, Al Noor Islamic Center, API Chaya, Casa Latina, Chinese Information Service Center, El Centro de la Raza, Entre Hermanos, Eritrean Association of Greater Seattle, Ethnic Chambers of Commerce Coalition, Fair Work Center, Hand-in-Hand, Latino Community Fund, LGBTQ Allyship, Millionair Charity Club, Somali Community Services, The Washington Wage Claim Project, United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, Ventures, Villa Comunitaria, and the West African Community Council.
COVID-19 has touched all of our lives. And, as we continue to adjust to this new normal, we know that there is much work ahead of us. But, we gain strength by supporting one another. We are proud to stand with our community and business partners as we work to improve worker’s lives together.
Kind regards,
Jeneé Jahn
Interim Director
Office of Labor Standards
Show Essential Workers you appreciate them! OLS is hosting a Facebook event page where community members can share their gratitude by sharing a story, picture or video using the #EssentialWorkerAppreciation #GetLoudForEssentialWorkers #MayDay2020 #SeattleTogether. Click here to print out a poster at home or visit the OLS Resources webpage to download a copy and show essential workers how much we appreciate them. The thank you posters are available in multiple languages. And, don't forget to make even more joyful noise tonight at 8:00 pm!
Please reach out if you have questions about Seattle’s labor standards, like Paid Sick and Safe Time, the Domestic Workers Ordinance, and Wage Theft. Please visit our website at http://www.seattle.gov/laborstandards, call us at 206-256-5297, or email us at laborstandards@seattle.gov.
Stay updated about developments, planning, and prevention of COVID-19 by visiting kingcounty.gov/covid. Information is available in multiple languages and the City of Seattle Covid-19 Resources for Community webpage.
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