Two months from today could be the last day of the nine-dollar-and-change minimum wage in Washington State. If Initiative 1433 passes, then on January 1st, 2017, the state minimum wage will increase from $9.47 to $11.00 on its way to $13.50/hour, raising up more than 700,000 underpaid workers and pumping millions of dollars into the economy. (Paid sick days would take effect a year later.)
Here's where things stand 8 days out from Election Day.
3 things to know
🍟 Supersized: After the Stranger’s Dan Savage first assigned a full 110% the credit for Seattle’s $15 minimum wage law to a couple politicians, we reminded him about the key role of the fast food strikers who sparked the movement that made it happen. And to his credit, he corrected himself.
❌ Changing opinions: Local papers in two of the cities where workers have been most active calling for higher pay — Seattle and now Olympia — have officially endorsed Initiative 1433. #notacoincidence
🎆 Still waiting for the disaster: Seattle’s minimum wage begins to hit $15/hour on January 1st. Meanwhile, unemployment in the region has fallen below 4% and the city has 137 more restaurants than before the law passed.
2 things to look out for
😩 Something’s missing, again: The Tacoma News Tribune managed to write a story on minimum wage that quoted five different business owners against higher pay & sick days — but not a single worker who wanted a raise. If you’re going to cover workers, you should at least talk to some, no? (That goes for you too KIMA-TV.)
💉 Doctor, doctor: Flu rates would fall about 5% if everyone got paid sick days, according to a new study of public health in places that let people take a sick day when they’re sick.
1 thing that's worth a closer look
🍸 Membership has its privileges: A study of hiring practices at law firms found that people who showed markers of coming from a higher class background were more likely to receive interviews and job offers, even when they had otherwise identical qualifications. However, the advantages of class seemed mostly to benefit men rather than women.
Read this far?
🎩 Consider yourself briefed, boss.