On May 1, 2014 at 20:19, Mr. Stanley said...
Looks like they approved a wage hike to $15 hour. Will be intreesting to see how things work out. Other cities that have done this have had increases in business & jobs.
I guess we'll see?! Wish us luck.
They didn't approve it.
Copy from AOL today.
The mayor of Seattle announced Thursday that he'd developed a plan for a $15 minimum wage that had wide backing from the city's lawmakers, labor leaders and business community.
The proposal unveiled by Mayor Ed Murray would gradually raise the city's minimum wage from $9.32 to $15 over the course of three to seven years, making it the highest city wage floor in the nation. The speed of the hike for individual employers would depend upon how many workers they have and the value of the non-wage benefits they offer.
“Once again Seattle has chosen to collaborate and Seattle workers are going to get a raise,” Murray said at a Thursday news conference, according to the Seattle Times.
Murray's plan is just a proposal for now, and it would require the city council to write legislation and pass it. But the mayor said the plan enjoyed broad support from the commission he'd tasked with developing it, with 21 members of the 24-member committee having agreed to it.
The proposal is least forgiving for large businesses with more than 500 workers, which will have to reach the new $15 minimum by 2017 if they don't give workers tips or health coverage; if they do, they'll be given another year to reach $15. Businesses with fewer than 500 workers will have until either 2019 or 2021 to hit $15, depending on the benefits they offer.
