Seattle hikes wages to highest minimum in the country

Couldn't find any other thread on this topic. If the search is not working properly and there is already a thread then I do apologize in advance.

Seattle hikes wages to highest minimum in the country

If anyone remember the controversy back in September of 2013 over the minimum wage hike in Seatle, now has the final answer. The minimum wage in the city is 15 $ making it the highest in the country.

Seattle approved the highest minimum wage in the country by a unanimous vote on Monday; Seattle Mayor Ed Murray is expected the sign the bill, which he championed, on Tuesday.

Washington state already has the nation’s highest state-wide minimum wage—$9.32 an hour—but the new law will hike minimum wage jobs within the city limits up more than five dollars to $15 an hour.

The increase will take place over several years and take into account the size and benefits offered by an employer; it will hit large businesses in three years and then all businesses by 2021.

Three states have raised their minimum wage this year to the number being championed by the Democrats nationwide, $10.10 an hour; thirteen states approved minimum wage hikes in 2013 as well.

Seattle’s hike, which is expected to affect 100,000 workers, goes farther than many other cities nationwide.

Link: MSNBC

Also related to the thread is this from 2013 on ATS: www.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: Telos

This will be a good case study.

Generally I think its a bad idea for reasons that have been long stated. But time will tell how long it will be before small business gets smaller and big business gets more automated.

The minimum wage in the UK is £6.31 for 21yrs and over or about $10.60

Apparently the con voices (no surprise there) are as radical as the increase it self. According to some, this price hike which is considered to be the highest in the world, is set to destroy the economy. The following makes up for an interesting read so here it is:

The city of Seattle is about to phase in a drastic increase in the minimum wage to $15/hr, thanks to the efforts of its new socialist city councilwoman, Kshama Sawant. Seattle’s far left mayor Ed Murray has now taken up the effort, and it is expected to be passed into law by the city council soon. The increase will affect nearly 100,000 workers, including almost all fast-food workers. Around 30 percent of all jobs in Seattle currently pay less than $15/hr.

What is going on is pay-to-pay politics, led by the unions. The losing mayoral candidate, incumbent Mike McGinn, unsuccessfully tried to save his campaign with a union quid pro quo. He received a $100,000 contribution from the United Food and Commercial Workers Union 21 last year, coincidentally timed about the same time he came out publicly opposing a new Whole Foods development in West Seattle.

Seattle Set To Destroy Economy With Highest Minimum Wage Increase In The World

www.abovetopsecret.com...

And now one of the pro voices on the matter. This one also makes up for an interesting read.

Almost everyone agrees that there should be a minimum wage. The question is how high it should be. At some point, forcing employers to pay low-skill workers more will lead them to fire some of them or hire fewer of them and you'll end up hurting more people than you'll help. But where is that point? Is it $8? $10? $15? $30?

This is one reason that both proponents and detractors of a much higher minimum wage should be excited to see Seattle boosting their minimum wage to $15. Though the plan is a bit less radical than its headline number — the new minimum wage phases in over six years, and as Jared Bernstein points out, that will give inflation time to erode the value of the $15 wage to about $12.21 in today's dollars — it will still make Seattle the highest minimum wage city in the country.

That gives us something to study. If Seattle's phase-in proceeds without much job loss that's more evidence that the economy can absorb a higher minimum wage. If, by contrast, Seattle sees sharp job losses compared to similar cities with lower minimum wages, or if low-wage employers begin moving outside the city lines, that will be evidence that the tradeoffs are more severe than the law's supporters hoped.

Why even minimum wage haters should be excited for Seattle’s $15 minimum wage

originally posted by: jjkenobi
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Oh man. The search function in this board doesn't work at all.

As the minimum wage increases so will the cost of living. Renting a place to live is already astronomical, so I don't see this as really helping anybody attain a better living standard. The first thing to see a big jump in cost will be housing.
Government subsidies will increase, and the rich will get richer. It's just another way to increase the funneling of money to the top levels.

When the large companies start moving out and avoid even setting up shop, 15 per hour won't matter much with no work.

\peace

a reply to: Telos

This will definitely prove once and for all if a hike in min wage WILL or WILL NOT destroy the country's way of life. Ill wait a few years since things take time to adjust. they can't turn back now that its in proverbial stone. lets hope it does good and kicks the economy up over there. No matter what anyone thinks, try to focus on good coming from this. something has to work to get us all back to normal.

What have the prostitutes reported on this? Serious question - when streetwalkers raise their price we know inflation is afoot.

Overall I think this 15 buck and hour thing does not address the problems of Seattle. They have a heroin drug epidemic of massive proportion, that have a high unemployment rate, rainy weather like London, a high cost of living even in poor areas, and an overall breakdown of industry there - especially after shutting down that Monorail they never did maintenance on or losing the Seattle Supersonics, one of the biggest job providers there.

The educational system up there is less to be desired. Only thing going on worth a damn is the relaxed regulations of marijuana and we have yet to see how much that will impact Seattle financially or will the DEA come in and throw a monkey wrench into all that revenue stream they are getting.