BossFeed Briefing for October 12, 2022. Last Friday, we released our Who Workers Want endorsements in eight key races across the state. Last Monday was Indigenous Peoples Day. Yesterday was National Coming Out Day. Sunday is Boss’s Day, a great day for those who don the top hat and monocle—and a weird day for those who wonder why such a holiday is even a thing. Tuesday marks three weeks until the WA General Election.
Three things to know this week:
The median income for the Seattle metropolitan area reached $101,700 last year. Meanwhile, a full-time worker paid the Seattle minimum wage made about $35,000.
Eight WA billionaires are on the Forbes list of wealthiest humans in the country. Together, this tiny group of WA residents holds a combined $374.7 billion in assets.
The SeaTac minimum wage for airport and hospitality workers will be adjusted to $19.06/hour in 2023. That bump will make it the highest minimum wage in the country.
Two things to ask:
Time for a tax on corporate whining? Amazon has sued to prevent enforcement of health & safety citations issued by state investigators at the company’s Kent, Sumner, and DuPont warehouses. The company also recently sued the Federal Trade Commission for making “unworkable and unfair” requests of founder Jeff Bezos and CEO Andy Jassy in the course of a consumer protection investigation.
Is it even common at his own restaurant? A Seattle restaurant owner recently claimed in an interview that “it’s not uncommon in Seattle for dishwashers to make $30-$35 an hour.” That same restaurant owner is currently hiring cooks at $20/hr + tips.
And one thing that's worth a closer look:
In 2023, the Seattle minimum wage will be adjusted to $18.69/hour to account for inflation—and Coco, a homeless youth who works at Popeyes in White Center, shared what that means for her. Here’s Coco: "I’m still a student so I somehow have to go to school & also work. I’m in a messed up predicament where I’m working longer and harder, still only making $300/week, and it’s really hard to simply afford food...The Seattle minimum wage going up means I can cover more expenses and save more, but I’m still concerned that it won’t be enough—there’s simply no reason we should be living in poverty in a city with all this wealth.”
Read this far? Consider yourself briefed, boss.
Let us know what you think about this week's look at the world of work, wages, and inequality!