Seattle gig workers win first-in-the-nation, permanent PSST!
“PSST acknowledges the whole person. There’s an element of responsibility, restoration and an investment in the people. When companies provide for their workers, it confirms that they see us as essential and valued. This is about social justice. If we are to claim that we are about equality, then we must provide and protect all workers.” — Raymond Evans, Seattle gig worker
It’s official: Seattle is the first city in the country to mandate paid sick time for gig workers on apps like Instacart, DoorDash, Handy, and more.
This Tuesday, workers won the Seattle City Council vote to make paid sick and safe time permanent.
PayUp campaign leaders celebrate PSST victory with Councilmember Mosqueda following the full city council vote.
“I do not survive paycheck to paycheck; I survive order by order. Without paid sick time, I am forced to work while sick or in pain. Paid safe and sick time provides disabled gig workers peace of mind knowing we do not have to push ourselves past our physical limits to earn an income to live and stay alive.” — Carmen Figueroa, Seattle delivery driver
It’s a big win, and it took big organizing to make it happen. Because their companies classify them as contractors, most gig workers have no access to take sick time like other workers do. Leaders with our PayUp campaign won a law for temporary sick leave during the COVID emergency period, and it’s been a lifeline for thousands of workers who would otherwise have to choose between working while sick or staying home with no pay. With the temporary COVID law about to expire, workers jumped into action and pushed the City Council to make the law permanent.
This law is the first of its kind anywhere in the US. And that’s what happens when workers lead the way and build the laws that matter to them from the ground up.
Check out what the news is saying:
Seattle passes first-in-the-nation paid sick leave for gig workers
Paid sick time is just one of the critical laws workers with PayUp are winning. Last year, we won a huge victory with our landmark PayUp policy, which will create a pay floor, flexibility protections, and transparency for gig workers. And now that we’ve made sick leave permanent, next up we’ll be working on protections against unwarranted “deactivation” of workers, to stop apps from locking gig workers out of their apps for no good reason.
And this isn’t just about Seattle workers — when we pass innovative laws like this in Seattle, we already know they can set the standard for WA state and other cities and states around the US. You can help make that happen. Help us shout this win from the rooftops and spread the word by sharing the news:
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Thanks for being a part of it,
The PayUp team