20250310-007: Improve Conditions for Food System Workers City of Austin — original pdf

Recommendation

BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board Recommendation Number 20250310-07: Improve Conditions for Food System Workers WHEREAS, the Austin City Council passed RESOLUTION NO. 20210610-039, which directed the City Manager to initiate a planning process for an Austin Food Plan in June 2021 to support a more resilient, equitable food system for the City of Austin; and WHEREAS, the Austin/Travis County Food Plan was developed through comprehensive and collaborative community workgroups across five identified issue areas, including 1.) Food Access and Consumption, 2.) Food Markets and Retail, 3.) Food Production, 4.) Post-Consumption and Food Waste, and 5.) Food Processing and Distribution, as well as input from a Community Advisory Committee, Community Food Ambassadors, planning teams across both City and County offices, and broad public engagement; and WHEREAS, the Austin/Travis County Food Plan, approved by the Austin City Council in October 2024, outlines strategic, measurable, ambitious, realistic, time-bound, inclusive, and equitable objectives, goals, and strategies to be accomplished within the next five years to create a more just, accessible, and culturally diverse food system for Austin and Travis County that supports and sustains thriving communities, healthy ecosystems, and solutions to climate change where all individuals can reach their full potential; and WHEREAS, Goal 3 of the Austin/Travis County Food Plan, "Livelihoods," seeks to improve farm worker and food worker livelihoods by ensuring a safety net, defining career pathways, expanding training opportunities, and strengthening opportunities for advancement across the local food system; and WHEREAS, over 65,000 people (7.5% of residents) are employed in the food sector across Travis County, many of whom earn some of the lowest wages in our local economy1, making the implementation of Goal 3 essential to supporting economic stability, worker well-being, and a thriving regional food economy; and WHEREAS, successful implementation of Goal 3 requires specific actions based on the strategies listed in the food plan, including: 1 City of Austin (2022), State of the Food System Report.  ● 3.1 Defining criteria for a livable wage in the food service industry using nationally recognized frameworks, paired with business engagement and data analysis to create a regionally appropriate standard; ● 3.2 Conducting regular, culturally appropriate worker surveys and focus groups to assess needs, work environments, and career opportunities to inform responsive policy and program development; ● 3.3 Establishing a commission or working group under the Austin/Travis County Food Policy Board to address food and farm worker rights, including benefits, unfair labor practices, and workplace safety; ● 3.4 Researching and recommending incentives such as tax rebates and wage supplements to support food system employers who provide livable wages and fair labor practices; ● 3.5 Expanding workforce training and career advancement programs tailored to food system roles, including culinary skills training and support for worker organizing and leadership development; ● 3.6 Recognizing and supporting food businesses that adopt high-road employment practices, including livable wages, career pathways, and worker ownership opportunities, through public campaigns and financial support; and ● 3.7 Increasing worker ownership opportunities through education and connections to capital to support the creation of cooperatives and other worker-led food businesses; and WHEREAS, meaningful implementation of these strategies will require an estimated $300,000 in funding to support staffing, research, business and worker engagement, public education, incentive design, and program delivery, ensuring the success of Goal 3 and long-term improvements for food system workers; and WHEREAS, this nearly $300,000 investment breaks down as follows: ● $13,000 for staffing to develop and adapt a livable wage framework (Strategy 3.1); ● $24,000 for staffing to research and develop, implement, and report findings of a survey to assess needs, work environment, and career outlook to inform programs and policies affecting food and farm workers (Strategy 3.2); ● $10,000 for staffing to research activities for the commission's development (Strategy 3.3); ● $15,000 for staffing to research and analyze stakeholder feedback to recommend rebates, tax incentives, and wage supplements for food system employers who pay a livable wage (Strategy 3.4); ● $80,000 to expand Healthy Workplaces and Culinary Workforce Training, career training programs, tailored to food system roles. Funding would cover program materials and staff time (Strategy 3.5); ● $150,000 for staffing and grants that will be utilized to support and distributed to businesses that pay livable wages and promote fair labor practices (Strategy 3.6); ● Funding for Strategy 3.7 integrated within Strategy 3.5. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board strongly encourages the Austin City Council to allocate an estimated $300,000 in funding to external agencies, provide staff support, and coordinate resources necessary to implement Goal 3: Livelihoods of the Austin/Travis County Food Plan outlined in the Goal 3. Additionally, the Food Policy Board recommends that joint funding with City of Austin be considered to support a more collaborative and effective implementation of this goal; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, this recommendation includes investment in worker-centered research, policy development, workforce training, and incentive programs (i.e. rebates, tax incentives, grants, etc.) that support living wages, workplace protections, and career advancement for farm and food workers throughout our local food system; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, these efforts will directly improve wages, workplace protections, and career advancement for food system workers. Regular surveys will help identify systemic issues, guiding better policy and improving worker retention and safety. The Food Worker Rights Commission will empower workers by addressing unfair practices and promoting dialogue between workers, businesses, and policymakers; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that public campaigns and financial incentives will encourage locally owned food businesses to adopt equitable labor practices, supporting a stronger, more sustainable local food economy. Date of Approval: March 10, 2025 Record of the Vote: Andy Smith made a motion to pass the recommendation and Andrea Abel and seconded the motion. The recommendation passed on an 8-0-1 vote. Vote in Favor: Marissa Bell, Joi Chevalier, Nitza Cuevas, Hilda Gutierrez, Kacey Hanson, Matt Simon, Andy Smith, Andrea Abel Vote Against: none Abstaining: Beth Corbett Absent: Lisa Barden, Mark Bethell, Larry Franklin, Natalie Poulos Attest: City of Austin, Office of Climate Action and Resilience, Food Policy Manager/ ATCFPB Staff Liaison