The stock footage names of everyone who appears in the Franchise Association's "franchise fairness" video

At the same time they announced their absurd lawsuit against Seattle's $15 minimum wage, the DC-based International Franchise Association also released a video intended to make their case to the public that Seattle's law "discriminates" against franchise systems. Turns out every single person shown in the video is taken directly from a popular stock footage library. And the names of the video pieces they spliced together say a lot about how the franchise lobby group is trying to make their case.

A list of every single person who appears in the franchise industry's video as they appear in the Pond5 stock video catalog:

1. Young asian woman smiling face
2. Young hispanic man smiling at camera
3. Portrait Of Young Happy Handsome Man In Glasses
4. Friendly Female Barista In A Coffee Shop Serving Customers
5. Young Pretty Woman Working As Florist In Shop And Smiling (Note: they color-adjusted the apron so it's Starbucks green!)
6. Attractive Female Business Owner On The Phone Behind The Counter Of Her Shop
7. African American Woman Close Looks Up Smiles Into Camera
8. Man Looking At Seattle Skyline

More "Sky is Falling" from Big Business about $15 for Seattle

Same group offers same arguments, same concerns, and same predictions they made on impact of sick leave, parking costs, mandatory composting, and more

Late yesterday, Josh McDonald of the Washington Restaurant Association sent an open letter to City Council asking for major changes to the IIAC’s consensus recommendations to reach a $15 minimum wage for Seattle in order to “minimize hardships to the restaurant industry”. The arguments, concerns, and predictions are uncannily similar to what the Restaurant Association has previously said about the impact of sick leave, parking costs, inflation adjustments to the minimum wage, and even mandatory composting. As the examples below demonstrate, these claims — made to many of the very same councilmembers serving today — have been consistently incorrect.

The WRA on Seattle’s landmark paid sick leave law:

September 16, 2011, Puget Sound Business Journal

“Businesses throughout the city tried to work with the proponents and councilmembers to draft language we could make workable in restaurants. Unfortunately, much of what we put on the table was rejected,” Seattle Restaurant Alliance spokesman Josh McDonald said in a statement. “The restaurant industry continues to struggle in this economy; this ordinance could make it even harder on them. We just don’t know.”

May 9, 2011, Seattle Times

Many small-business and restaurant owners oppose the idea, saying the costs could be staggering to operations with small profit margins and a large number of part-time employees.

“One Seattle restaurant owner estimated this would cost him between $65,000 and $175,000 a year. Where is that going to come from? Do I cut wages, raises, paid vacation days? What do I do?” asked Josh McDonald, director of local government affairs for the Washington Restaurant Association.

The result, he said, could be fewer jobs and fewer benefits.

The WRA on Seattle’s landmark mandatory composting law:

April 21, 2010, Seattle Times

Josh McDonald, a state and local government affairs spokesman with the Washington Restaurant Association, said his group is concerned about the costs. “Some (pieces) will be close to even, and some will be 100 times more per piece. When you add it up, that means increased costs.

He acknowledged that Seattle will be one of the few places in the country with such a broad edict. “Because we’re the only place in the country to have these requirements, the packaging is still thought boutique and with it will carry a boutique price tag.”

McDonald said restaurants operate on a 4.5 percent profit margin and 11,000 jobs were lost in the last quarter because of the economy, so there is a concern about the extra costs that will be generated by the new packaging rules. He didn’t know whether the costs would be passed on to the customers or simply absorbed.

The WRA on our state’s inflation-adjusted minimum wage:

October 2, 2008, Puget Sound Business Journal

On Jan. 1, the state’s minimum wage will rise 48 cents to $8.55 an hour — a hike that the Washington Restaurant Association (WRA) said will be “crippling” to the industry.

“The combination of the rising minimum wage and increases in the cost of food, gas and delivery charges are taking a toll on the state’s largest private employer. This is the time for steady leadership and an understanding of the issues crippling our small businesses statewide. Without strong leadership, we could find restaurants closing their doors and employees being laid off,” said Anthony Anton, WRA president and CEO, in a statement.

The WRA on Seattle’s parking meter hours:

March 25, 2012, Seattle Times (opinion column by Josh McDonald of the Seattle Restaurant Alliance)

Last year, when the city of Seattle adopted its extended parking hours, it created a hurdle for customers visiting restaurants, bars and taverns in certain areas of downtown Seattle.

With paid, on-street parking expanded to 8 p.m. from 6 p.m., these customers became saddled with an additional two hours of parking expense. That, in turn, forced them to decide whether to patronize businesses in zones with the extended hours, while potentially diminishing the amount of money they were willing to spend on a night out.

Our wish is that the city not create this type of obstacle between customers and businesses.

When City Councilmember Tim Burgess and others took on the task of shifting our city’s on-street paid-parking program from a revenue-based model to a market-based approach, the Seattle Restaurant Alliance listened cautiously. We understood the value, and tried to help create the best result possible.

[…]

We are also finding that the extended parking hours are having the unintended consequence of creating a public safety issue and a financial burden on our employees. We are one of only a few industries that keep their doors open until 2 a.m. Expecting our employees to simply take the bus at that hour is not always a reasonable option. For those who must drive, the additional two hours of paid parking require them to spend another $6 to $8 per shift. This amount is not trivial to our employees. […]

We look forward to working with the city to achieve a solution that is mutually sensitive to the needs of the restaurant community and the city’s revenue objectives. Let’s avoid placing obstacles between Seattle’s world-class dining scene and the customers who are eager to enjoy it.

More information:

As detailed in our report “The Sky Remains Aloft”, business lobby groups have been making these kinds of mistaken claims & threat about labor standards for more than a century.

By the way 74% of Seattle approves the mayor's initial proposal.

Seattle Fast Food Workers Vote to Strike

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

SEATTLE FAST FOOD WORKERS VOTE TO STRIKE

Thursday action part of global day of protest against low wages

SEATTLE – Fast food workers in Seattle today announced their plans to join a global fast-food strike planned for Thursday, May 15.

The workers voted Tuesday to take the strike action, part of a continuing movement to pressure giant corporations to raise wages and lift workers out of poverty.

Seattle fast-food workers previously have gone on strike on May 30 and Aug. 29, 2013.

Workers plan to rally at 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 15 at Westlake Park in Seattle. Strike locations and further details to be announced later.

Media Contact: Sejal Parikh, sejal@workingwa.org

Workers demand $15

Fast food workers in 150 cities across the globe are striking poverty on May 15th. It’s never been done before on such a scale and Seattle fast food workers are standing with them. We are striking back against giant global corporations like McDonald’s who rake in billions in profits and pay their workers poverty wages. It’s not right and ever since the first fast food workers went out on strike a year ago we’ve been pushing back.

Come join us as workers demand their employers pay them $15 at 4 PM on Thursday, May 15, at Westlake Park.

Because of the continued public pressure from low wage workers in the community, the Seattle City Council is about to take a vote on increasing the minimum wage to $15. By keeping up the pressure we are making sure that everyone will be paid enough to meet their basic needs, plan for the future and contribute to the economy.

Come join us at Westlake Park on Thursday and show your support for a strong $15 for Seattle.

This is going to be huge. Workers from all over the globe will be striking and protesting for better pay. We were one of the first cities to get this started and we will lead the way again this Thursday.

Tuesday, May 13th, Show the Seattle City Council You Support $15!

The Seattle City Council is having one of their last public hearings before they vote on whether to accept the mayor's proposal to get everyone to $15 an hour. The meeting is open to the public, starts at 6pm, and will be one of the last opportunities we have to tell the city council we support $15 for Seattle. We need to fill the room.

Last year, fast food, grocery and other workers from across the city paved the way in demanding a living wage for Seattle workers. We are now on the verge of achieving a $15 minimum wage that ensures every worker in Seattle can support themselves, afford the basics, and contribute to the economy.

Let's show the wide array of support for a strong $15 for Seattle this Tuesday, May 13th, at Rainier Beach High School.

Seattle City Council Committee on Minimum Wage and Income Inequality

May 13, 2014 6 PM

Rainier Beach High School

8815 Seward Park Ave South

Seattle, WA 98188

Mayor's $15 minimum wage plan earns support of low wage workers

Working Washington expresses support for Mayor Murray's $15 minimum wage plan

“This is a $15 minimum wage plan that works for workers, and for the entire city"

On behalf of the fast-food workers whose strikes, marches, boycotts, and other mobilizations brought the call for $15 an hour to the center of public debate, Working Washington issues the following statement in support of the Mayor's plan to achieve a true $15 minimum wage for all workers:

This is a $15 minimum wage plan that works for workers, and for the entire city.

Representatives of working people, businesses, nonprofits, and other diverse community leaders have come together on a recommendation that reaches a true $15 minimum wage for all workers, helps independent businesses & nonprofits thrive, and includes robust community-based enforcement.

It's an incredible accomplishment.

On May 30th of last year, Seattle fast food workers went on strike for $15 because they knew that raising pay was necessary — even if in those first days it might not have seemed possible we could get there. But their leadership and commitment helped spark an extraordinary grassroots workers' movement that rapidly built support across the entire city. Less than a year later, we are on the verge of achieving a $15 minimum wage that ensures every worker in Seattle can support themselves, afford the basics, and contribute to the economy.

Fast food workers led the way forward, and the city has heard their call. 

"What matters most to me is my 4 year old daughter, Canaela," said Julia DePape, a Seattle McDonald's worker with Working Washington. "My dream is to give her the same opportunities as other children. For starters, I want to provide a stable home for her and I want to give her a space to call her own. Also, Canaela loves cats and dogs and probably any other animal she'd meet. I dream of taking her to the zoo for the first time because I can only imagine how her face would light up. With $15, I have a chance at that!"

Now that Mayor Murray has achieved broad agreement on a plan that makes a true $15 minimum wage a reality for all Seattle workers, we look forward to working with City Council to move forward and put these recommendations into law.

Highlights:

The Mayor's plan raises up 100,000 low-wage workers, lifting our entire city:

• Everyone who works at a big business like McDonald's or Lowe's and doesn’t receive healthcare through their job will see their minimum wage rise to $15/hour by January 1, 2017. The $15/hour minimum will increase with inflation every year after that; this rate sets the standard for all workers.
• Every low-wage worker in the city will see a significant increase to their base wage each year as they get to $15/hour, and then to parity with the citywide minimum
• Every worker gets to the same place: a true inflation-adjusted $15 minimum wage — with no deductions for tips or benefits. At current rates of inflation, the citywide minimum for all workers will reach about $18.13/hour in ten years.
• Every worker will benefit from a robust system of community-based enforcement that ensures the $15 minimum wage, sick leave, wage theft, and other labor standards are realities for every worker in Seattle.

City Hall surrounded by $15 for Seattle

We are closer than ever to bringing a $15 minimum wage that will lift up all of Seattle by ensuring low wage workers can meet their basic needs and contribute to the economy. Closer, but not there yet. So we and a few hundred of our friends surrounded City Hall to show the breadth and depth of support across Seattle for $15.

We spread out holding over 1200 feet of banners with all the reasons we need $15 and all the people who will benefit.  We surrounded City Hall — the entire city block.

Support our families. Afford to survive. Live on our own. Pay the bills. We completely surrounded City Hall in downtown Seattle.

What we need is a $15 minimum wage so everyone can support themselves, afford the basics, and contribute to the economy.

This is who $15 for Seattle will benefit: women, neighbors, immigrants, youth, renters, people of color, leaders, customers, workers, EVERYONE.