Mayor Ed Murray has just gone public with his minimum-wage-increase proposal. The City Council will start its review on Monday; meantime, the full details are in this news release from the mayor’s office. The toplines:
Small businesses (businesses with fewer than 500 employees) will reach a $15 per hour minimum wage in seven years. Also established is a temporary compensation responsibility of $15 per hour to be met within the first five years, which can be achieved by combining employer-paid health care contributions, consumer-paid tips, and employer-paid wages.
Large businesses (businesses with 500 or more employees, either in Seattle or nationally) will reach $15 per hour in three years. The wages of employees who receive health care benefits will reach $15 per hour in four years.
The proposal will be heard by the council’s Select Committee on Minimum Wage & Income Inequality on Monday (May 5th) at 2:30 pm. It’s already drawn opposition from the group 15 Now, which (as reported here two weeks ago) proposes a city charter amendment phasing in $15 over three years, less than half the phase-in time of the mayor’s plan.
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