PBF Summer Fellow at NELP - the National Employment Law Project

Monday, August 18th, 2014

Peggy Browning's Summer Fellow Rebecca Cassler had a varied fellowship experiece at NELP in Seattle, WA.

The NELP Seattle office had been deeply involved in the Seattle minimum wage battle.  On Becky's first day, she accompanied other NELP staff to watch the Seattle City Council's final debate and unanimous vote in favor of a gradual minimum wage increase to $15/hour.  Seattle now has the highest minimum wage rate in the country and NELP continues to work with local groups and politicians to ensure smooth implementation and effective enforcement of the new ordinance.

Also, as part of her Summer Fellowship, Becky volunteered with the Comité de Defensa del Trabajador (CDT), a project of local NELP partner Casa Latina.  CDT is a weekly meeting of immigrant workers experiencing wage theft who are interested in community-driven legal and direct action to secure the wages they are owed.  Becky participated in a picket line outside of a restaurant in downtown Seattle that owed a former employee a large sum in unpaid wages.  With the support of dozens of protestors, the employee was able to meet witht eh owner of the restaurant that day and negotiate a contract for the unpaid wages to be provided in installments.  Becky was so pleased to see such a positive outcome!

Rebecca Cassler (below, right) with NELP staff Diego Rondón Ichikawa
and Becki Smith at Seattle City Council.  Rebecca Cassler is now a second-year student at the University of Minneapolis Law School.