Steve Marchese

Director, Seattle Office of Labor Standards, lawyer, dad, car geek, pro bono evangelist, native New Yorker living the good life in Washington State

[Steve Marchese @Steve_Marchese]

Proud of the work my office @OLS_SEA is doing to enforce Seattle's Secure Scheduling Ordinance and support the rights of retail workers in the city. #workersrights #laborstandards https://t.co/mvMTA1XR3U

[Steve Marchese @Steve_Marchese]

@OLS_SEA A3: OLS partners with community and business advocacy groups that have existing relationships with BIPOC, immigrant, refugee, and LGBTQI+ workers and hiring entities to engage in outreach and intake activities. https://t.co/WJfhIWAT5b
#WorkersRightsTownHall

[Local Progress @LocalProgress]

Q3: What are some creative or locally-tailored ways you have seen localities reach out to workers that may be hard to reach?

#WorkersRightsTownHall

[Steve Marchese @Steve_Marchese]

@OLS_SEA A2: Employers’ poor recordkeeping and workers’ fear of retaliation for asserting their rights are both barriers to effective local labor standards enforcement.
#WorkersRightsTownHall

[Local Progress @LocalProgress]

Q2: In addition to passing laws, localities must also focus on enforcement.

What challenges do local agencies face in trying to make sure workers are truly protected under the law?

#WorkersRightsTownHall

[Steve Marchese @Steve_Marchese]

@OLS_SEA A1: Members of the Domestic Workers Standards Board, domestic workers and their employers are key decision makers in developing policy to improve the lives of all domestic workers. https://t.co/JSIcepXBjh
#WorkersRightsTownHall

[Local Progress @LocalProgress]

Q1: Cities and localities play an important role in improving labor conditions.

What is one thing that you are excited about that your locality has done or is working on to champion workers' rights?

#WorkersRightsTownHall

[Steve Marchese @Steve_Marchese]

@OLS_SEA A9: Telling worker stories, highlighting employer successes in implementation, and publicizing the results of enforcement actions. See our case resolutions (https://t.co/18X9o4jcM5) and press releases (https://t.co/kQOVeKHAQH) for more.
#WorkersRightsTownHall

[Local Progress @LocalProgress]

Q9: In addition to policy, local electeds have a platform to bring attention to issues that workers and unions face through communications and public education.

What specific ways can we bring more attention to labor issues?

#WorkersRightsTownHall

[Steve Marchese @Steve_Marchese]

@OLS_SEA A8: We partner regularly with City of Seattle HR teams to ensure they understand the laws and have the tools to implement them for our municipal employees.
#WorkersRightsTownHall

[Local Progress @LocalProgress]

Q8: One way that localities can advance labor protections is by serving as a model employer themselves.

How has your locality done this, or what is one thing you would like to see them do to improve conditions for municipal employees?

#WorkersRightsTownHall

[Steve Marchese @Steve_Marchese]

@OLS_SEA A6.Enact labor standards that require successor employers to retain current workers. Our Hotel Employees Job Retention ordinance does this. https://t.co/ECXFftmi4L
#WorkersRightsTownHall

[Local Progress @LocalProgress]

Q6: Outdated federal laws & decades of attacks on #unions have created tough conditions for workers trying to unionize.

How can localities create a friendlier environment for worker organizing?

#WorkersRightsTownHall

[Steve Marchese @Steve_Marchese]

@OLS_SEA A5. Seattle enacted special COVID 19 Gig Worker protections including paid sick time and premium/hazard pay for gig workers and grocery workers. https://t.co/sN4FBgH0vC

[Local Progress @LocalProgress]

Q5: The pandemic has brought up new challenges for worker safety, especially for #essentialworkers.

How has your locality responded to meet these challenges to protect worker health and public health?

#WorkersRightsTownHall

[Steve Marchese @Steve_Marchese]

Excellent new report from @EconomicPolicy by @TerriGerstein highlighting the work of local labor standards enforcement agencies with significant coverage of our work at @OLS_SEA https://t.co/XyhobX7YEK

[Seattle Office of Labor Standards @OLS_SEA]

Visit https://t.co/ykJSfke6ak to learn more on how to apply for the the Domestic Worker Community Organizing Funding to help Domestic Workers know about their rights under Seattle's labor laws. Application period ends July 11.

[Steve Marchese @Steve_Marchese]

Excited to see coverage of OLS' work with domestic workers and the opportunity for community organizations to increase awareness of domestic worker protections. https://t.co/uzUc4qRJ2Y @OLS_SEA @KING5Seattle

[Seattle Office of Labor Standards @OLS_SEA]

@OLS_SEA reaches settlement of over $3.4 million dollars with Uber for alleged violations of Seattle’s Gig Worker Paid Sick and Safe Time Ordinance impacting over 15 thousand workers - marking OLS’ largest settlement agreement to date. Press release - https://t.co/pHO0lpodmE

[Seattle Office of Labor Standards @OLS_SEA]

@OLS_SEA is proud to partner with other local governments and @public_rights to investigate @Handy workplace abuses. We stand with workers. https://t.co/WlgQjCvWVR

[Steve Marchese @Steve_Marchese]

Thank you, Mayor Durkan, for leading the virtual swearing-in ceremony this week. I am honored to serve the Seattle community as the new director of the Office of Labor Standards. Now more than ever, when workers do better, we all do better. @OLS_SEA

[Jenny Durkan @MayorJenny]

Our @OLS_SEA works every day to make sure we have a healthy environment for businesses & workers in Seattle. Policies like the grocery worker hazard pay ordinance change lives for the better. It was my pleasure to welcome Steven Marchese as new director at his virtual swearing-in

[Steve Marchese @Steve_Marchese]

Excited to announce the news of my appointment as Director of Seattle’s Office of Labor Standards. I’m excited to help lead Seattle’s nationally recognized worker protection efforts. I leave the @mnbar at the end of Jan and will resign my seat on the @SPPS_News board on 2/28.

[Jenny Durkan @MayorJenny]

Please join me in welcoming Steve Marchese, the new Director of @OLS_SEA! With over 20 years of public service experience, I'm sure Steve will help drive equity and address historic disparities in our City as we look towards recovery and rebuilding. https://t.co/mhfHoOecnt

[Steve Marchese @Steve_Marchese]

@MarkJWestpfahl @SPPS_News @SSPPS6 @CapitolHillSPPS St. Paul’s loss will by So. St. Paul’s gain. You will be missed!

[Saint Paul Public Schools @SPPS_News]

Congrats, Mr. Combs! 👏

DeWayne Combs, a physical education teacher at @MurrayMS_SPPS, is a finalist for the 2020 Minnesota Teacher of the Year award. #MNToY

[Saint Paul Public Schools @SPPS_News]

Thank you for your kind words and support for this new service. Last week, we served 68,000 meals over three days to Saint Paul families. Every meal that was made was distributed on bus routes, at schools and via home delivery for those who needed it.

[Steve Marchese @Steve_Marchese]

My thoughts on the potential for an SPFE strike. ⁦⁦@SPPS_News⁩ https://t.co/lOHnEpTwQH

[Steve Marchese @Steve_Marchese]

Some mornings you just need to jam to classic rock. https://t.co/dCPiMfR079