Statewide minimum wage measure qualifies for November ballot

Washington voters in November will will decide whether to raise the minimum wage and require businesses to guarantee paid sick leave for many employees.

The Washington Secretary of State’s office on Friday announced supporters gathered enough valid signatures for the measure to make the Nov. 8 ballot.

Initiative 1433 would raise the statewide minimum wage to $13.50-an-hour. The wage would be bumped up to this level over four years. The current statewide hourly minimum is $9.47. In addition, employers would have to provide one hour of paid sick leave for each 40 hours an employee works.

The initiative, according to the Yes on 1433 campaign, would add $600 to the pockets of more than 730,000 minimum-wage workers in the state and provide sick leave to an additional 1 million workers.

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