Seattle Council Approves Plan for $15 Minimum Wage
June 3, 2014 | Read Time: 1 minute
The Seattle City Council voted unanimously Monday to raise the city’s minimum wage to a national high of $15 an hour, USA Today reports.
Seattle’s debate over increasing the wage floor from $9.32 has been closely watched nationally and fueled both support and worry among local charities, which widely backed the hike in principal as a step toward reducing poverty but raised concerns over the likely strain on their own payrolls.
About a quarter of Seattle workers now earn less than $15. Should it survive an expected court challenge by corporate franchises, the plan approved Monday will phase in the new wage floor over three to seven years, depending on an employer’s size and what benefits it provides workers.
Read a Chronicle of Philanthropy article on the dilemma campaigns to hike the minimum wage pose for nonprofits nationwide.
