Seattle city council unanimously approves minimum wage increase to $15 per hour

SEATTLE (Reuters) – The Seattle city council voted unanimously on Monday to approve a sharp increase in the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next seven years, marking the first time a major U.S. city has committed to such a high base level of pay.

Under the terms of the plan, businesses with fewer than 500 workers must raise wages to the $15 mark in the next seven years, an increase of more than 60 percent from Seattle’s current minimum wage of $9.32 an hour.Larger businesses must meet that level within three years, or four if they provide health insurance.


“We have worked alongside organized labor in Seattle who have campaigned vigorously for $15 (an hour),” said socialist council member Kshama Sawant, a supporter of the measure (pictured above).

“We forced the establishment to lift the wages of 100,000 low-wage workers in Seattle, to transfer $3 billion from business to workers at the bottom of the pay scale over the next 10 years. We did it. Workers did it,” Sawant said.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/06/02/seattle-city-council-unanimously-approves-minimum-wage-increase-to-15-per-hour/