Press Release
For Immediate Release
Contact Information
Cynthia Santana
Communications Director
Phone: 206-256-5291
Email: cynthia.santana@seattle.gov
Seattle Invests in Gig Workers to Ensure They Know Their Rights | Office of Labor Standards
$534,000 Awarded for Outreach and Education in 2026-2028
Seattle, WA (August 5, 2026) – The Office of Labor Standards (OLS) announces Seattle’s first dedicated app-based worker outreach and education fund to build capacity among and partnerships with community-based organizations. These partners will increase app-based workers’ knowledge of the city’s app-based minimum payment and deactivation rights laws through methods that are community centered, culturally relevant and accessible, and language specific.
Through a competitive selection process, OLS contracted out $534,000 to two organizations for 24-month contracts from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2028. Seattle’s Network Company Licensing Fee paid by app-based network companies like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Instacart provides funding for this outreach and education.
“Seattle continues to raise the standards of workers across new industries like app-based work, and that’s why we’re leading the nation in workplace protections," said Mayor Katie B. Wilson. "Bringing in trusted partners to focus on outreach and education empowers workers with knowledge of their rights. It also helps ensure they're paid what they earn."
July 2026 – June 2028 Recipients
Fair Work Center Collaborative
Communities of Focus:
- New immigrants
- Somali and East African immigrants
- Black workers
- Muslim workers
- LGBTQ+ workers
- Disabled workers
- Undocumented workers
- Latino workers
Collaborative Partners:
- Somali Community Services of Seattle
- Al Noor Islamic Center
Growing Contigo
Communities of Focus:
- Latino/Latinx/Latine, immigrant, refugee, and BIPOC businesses and workers
- Spanish-speaking businesses and workers
“Because of the dispersed nature of this work, we need trusted partners to support the work of our office and connect with workers one-on-one,” said OLS Director Steven Marchese. “App-based work is not done in traditional workplaces. Now more than ever, workers need organizations like the ones selected here to meet them where they are and provide the resources they need to be successful.”
"We're grateful to the City of Seattle for recognizing the vital role community partners play in upholding labor standards across our city. With this award, we will continue to uplift workers through a strategic outreach model that builds peer leadership, expands community education and Know Your Rights trainings, and connects workers to critical legal support," said Fair Work Center Executive Director Danielle Alvarado.
Partners also provide intake, counseling, complaint resolution, and referral services for workers.
App-based workers are at high risk for labor standards violations. The workers who are most likely to perform app-based work and experience these violations include female workers, workers of color, immigrant and refugee workers, LGBTQ+ workers, workers with disabilities, and veterans. This is why OLS seeks partnerships that support culturally relevant, accessible, and language-specific outreach, education, and support services.
To learn more about the App-Based Worker Fund, please visit the App-Based Worker Outreach and Education Current Recipients webpage at https://www.seattle.gov/laborstandards/funding/app-based-worker-outreach-and-education-current-recipients.
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