The fight for a $15 minimum wage is coming to our nation’s major cities. Over the weekend, Seattle’s self-proclaimed socialist councilmember headlined a 15 NOW event in Minneapolis, making a case for why the city should become the third in the nation to adopt a $15 minimum wage. Fortunately for businesses in Minneapolis, Kshama Sawant doesn’t appear to have been particularly successful—the two Minneapolis city councilmembers most sympathetic to the idea expressed support for a minimum wage hike, but stopped short of endorsing the $15 per hour wage.
The same cannot be said for the Democrat politicians running the Big Apple. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has pledged his support for raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour. Under de Blasio’s plan, New York City would increase the minimum wage to more than $13 an hour in 2016 and to $15 an hour by 2019.
The City of Los Angeles is currently considering a $15 minimum wage. The proposal would hike the citywide minimum wage to $13.25 by 2017 and $15.25 by 2019. A University of California, Berkeley study predicted small clothing manufactures could leave L.A. if the minimum wage is hiked, among other concerns.
With so many major cities contemplating the significant jump in the minimum wage at the expense of small businesses, one would think that a lot of thought went into arriving at the $15 per hour figure. But, that’s just not so. In fact, the $15 minimum wage movement was born out of a retaliatory union negotiation tactic—an arbitrary number picked by a top union executive for the purpose of leverage in contract negotiations.
It all started in the City of SeaTac when SEIU 775 president David Rolf set out to unionize workers at Sea-Tac airport. Employers—particularly Alaska Airlines—refused to give into Rolf’s typical bully tactics. So, he decided to take a different route.
Rolf placed a $15 minimum wage proposition on the citywide ballot as leverage against employers. And, as we here in Washington know, the ballot measure passed on a narrow margin. Ironically, due to a court challenge, the very airport workers Rolf attempted to organize into unions are now the only ones exempt from the $15 minimum wage in SeaTac.
Why $15 per hour and not $11, $12, $13.25, or any other figure? For the simple reason that the number “15” looks “nice and round” and is “easy to fit on a bumper sticker.” The number also has some history behind it, fast food workers rallied behind the figure when they attempted to unionize in 2012.
The $15 minimum wage is arbitrary and somewhat accidental, and businesses in Seattle and San Francisco will have to deal with the aftermath. The question is how many other cities will join.
Why not $20.00 an hour? How about $25.00 or $30.00 an hour? Hell, let’s get right to the $72.42 an hour mark, then I can quit my job and go get a job flipping burgers rather than bust my A$$ to support my family & everybody else’s in this state it seems. Just need everybody to get on board before I fork out $150,000.00 for my first kid to attend college she aperently doesn’t need. Yep, I’m in! Who needs goals………
The $15 minimum wage is arbitrary and somewhat accidental, and businesses in Seattle and San Francisco will have to deal with the aftermath. The question is how many other cities will join.
How are businesses in Seatac dealing with their $15/hour minimum wage?
City manager Todd Cutts says there has been no impact on sales tax or property tax, and no measurable change in the number of business licenses issued.
The law requires hoteliers with more than 100 rooms to pay workers $15 an hour. Scott Ostrander, former general manager of the Cedarbrook Lodge in SeaTac, argued during the campaign that he would close several rooms in his hotel to avoid having to comply. Now, Cedarbrook Lodge is moving forward with a 63-room expansion and recently started paying the $15 per hour minimum wage.
“I’m not aware of any business closing because of Prop. 1,” [Mayor] Gregerson [of Seatac] said.
How is San Francisco coping?
… San Francisco — with a minimum wage of $10.74, the country’s highest — had the greatest job gains in the past year among cities measured.
Washington state has the highest minimum wage of all fifty states. How is the climate for small business here?
In Washington state, small businesses are adding jobs faster than any other state in the country, according to a report from Paychex and IHS.
Why don’t you & your liberal friends give up your paychecks to fund this madness and stop taking everybody else’s money, you sheep bag.
The communist agitator is on her never-ending quest to get ink. Self-aggrandizement at its best. I knew her biggest fan would sense the threat and chime in at defcon 5. Some things are as predictable as the sun coming up.
Indeed, nothing is more drearily predictable than opponents of raising the minimum wage having no facts to support their dire predictions of doom.
Cascade Designs, an outdoor recreational gear manufacturing company, announced it is moving 100 jobs (20% of the workforce) later this year from Seattle to a new plant it is leasing near Reno, Nevada.
Yep, those dire predictions are make believe.
Yes, we covered that self-reported anecdote in another thread; even if all 100 positions pay minimum wage, the savings aren’t what the owners’ justification claimed. Meanwhile, Amazon is hiring many more positions, well-above the minimum wage. Facts, how do they work?
Meanwhile, if you follow the bizjournal link I provided, you can read this bold statement from Seatac’s business owners:
Many businesses in SeaTac are members of the Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce. Chamber Presidents and CEO Carol Kolson did not return several calls for comment.
I guess making wild predictions which haven’t come true kinda puts a dent in their claims to know a lot about business, eh?
Tensor,
Gotta quit bullying the practical people. Your reality isn’t valid when it comes to running a business. Have you ever had the guts to buy or start a business, deal with high taxes, payroll issues, trying to survive with intense governmental intervention, having everyone and their mother try to dip into your pockets? If not, give it a rest. The facts are clear. Businesses will be adversely effected by your scheme to artificially inflate the cost of living of so many people that will never see an improvement in their lives until the proper education becomes accessible so they can get off the government dole. Not gunna happen with the New Socialist Agenda.
Sure, you can continue to challenge the crap out of people, but know it is only entertainment.
Please name the “three well-known, local restaurants,” which, you claimed, closed in response to a wage hike which has yet to take effect.
You’re an uninformed idiot, get back in your damp musty hole.
I stand by the facts I quoted and the sources I cited. By contrast, name-calling is the best you can do, “aperently”.
You Troll, you know nothing but liberal doctrine. Get the hell off Shift with your progressive democratic lies. You Are The Problem With This State!
It’s not the best I can do but it’s good enough for your progressive waste of oxygen. A$$Clown!
I forgot this one, You Parasite!
This will do more harm than good. One local restaurant has implemented a device on tables for people to place their order and pay for it without ever having to see a waiter or waitress or a cashier. How many jobs will be lost to the $15 dollar an hour wage?