Resolution in Support of Annual Inflation Adjustments Based on CPI-W for Seattle Human Services Contracts

June 20, 2019

The following resolution was passed at the June 19 Delegates Meeting.

WHEREAS, the City of Seattle contracts out community services such as youth development, senior centers, community clinics, domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and response, food banks and meal programs, and homeless shelters, housing, and prevention to local human services non-profits because they are the experts with the relationships that make them best equipped to do the work; and

WHEREAS, the City of Seattle has an obligation to maintain these services; and

WHEREAS, inflation adjustments to the contracts that fund these services have been inconsistent, creating a funding gap, forcing the non-profit agencies to do more with less as rent, health insurance, energy costs, technology etc. go up but investment does not; and

WHEREAS, our union brothers and sisters working in human services in the City of Seattle are some of the lowest paid in the city doing very important but often difficult and demanding work; and

WHEREAS, union-represented brothers and sisters who work for the City of Seattle negotiate for contracts that include annual adjustments for the increased cost of living, and thereby also lift the wages and benefits for non-union-represented city employees annually; and

WHEREAS, the low wages in human services private non-profits contribute to a turnover rate that undermines the work they are contracted to carry out; and

WHEREAS, Seattle’s ability to thrive now and in the future is dependent upon our ability to foster economic, emotional, physical, developmental and social well-being for all of our community members; and therefore be it

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that MLK Labor supports passage of Council Bill 119542, which amends the Seattle Municipal Code to require the Human Services Department (HSD) funding include annual inflation adjustments based on the CPI-W for renewed or renegotiated contracts; and be it further

RESOLVED, the MLK Labor send a letter in support of Council Bill 119542 to the nine (9) Seattle City Councilmembers and the Seattle Mayor; and be it further

RESOLVED, that MLK Labor encourages its constituents to contact the 9 Seattle City Councilmembers and the Seattle Mayor in support of Council Bill 119542, the annual inflation adjustment based on CPI-W for Human Services Department contracts.