New minimum wage, city booms

Last year, in January, Crystal Thompson was being paid $9.47 an hour working at Domino’s in Seattle. This year, on January 1, 2016, she saw her pay rate go up to $13 an hour for the same job. This wasn’t a surprise or a gift, Crystal knew it was coming because she was one of the leaders who made it happen.

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Seattle minimum wage rises to $13, $12.50, $12, and/or $10.50 on January 1st

Seattle's march to a citywide $15 minimum wage takes another leap forward on Friday, when the city's minimum wage rises to $13/hour for many workers. Meanwhile, the rest of the state will not see an increase at all, as the statewide minimum remains stuck at just $9.47/hour for another year  — substantially less than it takes to afford a 1-bedroom apartment in Bellingham, Bremerton, Lewiston, Longview, Tacoma, the Tri-Cities, Wenatchee, Yakima, or just about anywhere else in the state.

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Uber’s lobbyists deactivated, workers rights surging

Less than an hour ago, by a unanimous vote, Seattle City Council passed legislation closing a loophole in workers rights laws so that taxi, for-hire, and on-demand drivers can organize and bargain over their pay and working conditions.

“Drivers across the country are watching what’s going on here today,” says Don Creery, a Seattle driver for both Uber and Lyft who was recently featured in the New York Times. Don went into debt when he bought a new car for his job—then watched as Uber & Lyft cut his pay with little notice and without him having any say. After today, he says, “They have to sit down with us and negotiate. We have to have a say.

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