Historic. Uncharted territory. Trailblazing. Messy. These are just some of the words used by pundits, politicians, and the public earlier this month after the Seattle City Council unanimously approved legislation that will eventually create a $15 minimum wage for the city’s workers.
The battle over minimum wage has been building over the past months. The fast food industry has been at the center of the debate, with workers in some cities going so far as to strike. But the unprecedented move in Seattle has been a game changer. It has brought the fight to center stage. The city has always been seen as progressive, and this vote just solidifies that view.
The wage hike will be incremented in phases, and it will be 7 years before all employers will be required to pay the full $15 an hour amount, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be more battles. In fact, yesterday the International Franchise Association filed a lawsuit against the City in U.S. District Court because of what it sees as an unfair categorization of franchisees as large businesses because of their connections to national companies.
“Hundreds of small, locally owned businesses and thousands of their employees are unfairly threatened by Seattle’s new law. We are not seeking special treatment for franchisees, we are just seeking equal treatment” said Steve Caldeira, president and chief executive officer of the IFA.
However, not all small business owners were upset. The owner of Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream had already raised wages of her non-tipped employees to $15. She views the wage increase as a way to put more money in the pockets of potential customers.
“They’ll have more money to buy ice cream,” said Molly Moon Neitzel.
Across the nation, cities will be closely watching the effects the new law has on Seattle. The battle over minimum wage is just beginning.
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