The Washington State Supreme Court has ruled that that the city of SeaTac’s $15 minimum wage law applies to airport facilities under the jurisdiction of the Port of Seattle. That means all businesses operating at SeaTac airport will now be required to establish a new minimum wage of $15 per hour.
The court’s decision in Filo Foods vs. The City of SeaTac (spearheaded by Alaska Airlines and the Washington Restaurant Association) is a reversal of a King County Superior Court judge’s previous ruling that found SeaTac’s $15 minimum wage initiative did not apply to the airport. Big labor appealed the decision resulting in the eventual dismissal of all four challenges presented by plaintiff Filo Foods by the state Supreme Court. The Freedom Foundation,
“In sum, the Washington State Supreme Court upheld Proposition 1 ‘in its entirety’ and found it to be fully applicable to employers doing business at the airport.
“Alaska Airlines and Port of Seattle officials have both expressed concern over the new ruling, saying that it will lead to less competition and a greater burden on airport businesses. Not surprisingly, Alaska Airlines will be most affected by the new law. The company is based in SeaTac, and it will be required to provide more of its employees with higher wages, especially compared to other airlines.”
Big labor delighted over the court’s ruling. SEIU 775 President David Rolf—whose union spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to pass the $15 minimum wage in SeaTac—declared that the ruling was “one more accelerant for the national $15 movement.”
Of course, Rolf would be excited over the ruling—especially since it means labor stands to benefit even more from the law that exempts unions. It wasn’t too long ago that Rolf admitted the $15 minimum wage law was meant to help unions organize new firms. As Shift has reported, the law encourages “employers to become union shops in order to take advantage of the exemptions.” The bill would make unionization a “low cost option for employers to avoid paying the otherwise mandated benefits.” More unionized employers means more union members which means more union dues, which means more campaign money for Democrat politicians.
MockingJay says
Anything Big Labor is ‘delighted over’ = hold on to your wallet. What’s left of it.
tensor says
Not surprisingly, Alaska Airlines will be most affected by the new law. The company is based in SeaTac, and it will be required to provide more of its employees with higher wages, especially compared to other airlines.
Because when you get aboard an airplane, the most comforting thought you can possibly have is, “thank goodness this airline can still pay low wages!”
After all, it’s not like any Alaska Airlines airplane ever suffered in-air loss of cabin pressure after being struck by a baggage cart driven by a low-wage employee.
guitarguy_nw says
What kind of stupid logic is that? So its better to say “I’m glad this business pays low skilled workers so much more – they earn more and know less than people that worked their way up to $15, so I know my plane is going to fly better ” wow. Brilliant.
tensor says
If you clicked on the link, you could have read that Alaska Airlines had outsourced the driver’s position to save money. Raising wages for all positions reduces this outsourcing incentive. That’s pretty simple logic.
Or does, “you get what you pay for,” just magically not apply if you really, really wish that it doesn’t?
Biff says
So paying that same low-wage employee $15/hr magically prevents accidents? How does giving an unskilled dolt a 60% raise accomplish that?
tensor says
How does giving an unskilled dolt a 60% raise accomplish that?
Having to pay everyone at least $15/hour eliminates the incentive to hire the lowest-quality workers.
You guys are always claiming a high minimum wage will price some workers out of the labor market, right? How about actually thinking through the effects
of that? (Or do even you know it’s not true?)
Biff says
“Having to pay everyone at least $15/hour eliminates the incentive to hire the lowest-quality workers”
How does this happen? By making the lowest quality workers more expensive? Will the unskilled dolt suddenly be more qualified when he gets a 60% raise or will he be unemployed because the employer decided he wasn’t worth it? Will the lowest quality workers go away? How is that not pricing workers out of the labor market? Sounds like somebody definitely needs to actually think through the effects of this even though you wrongly assume it’s not true.