Election results in bring new momentum to fast food workers struggle Seattle fast food workers are celebrating tonight's election results, citing the strong vote for the SeaTac Good Jobs Initiative as an example that is sure to inspire further advances for the $15 movement in Seattle and across the country.
“The victory in SeaTac means that workers at the Wendy's, McDonald’s, Burger King, and Starbucks at our airport will see their pay rise to $15/hour along with thousands of others,” said Ryan Parker, a fast food striker who works at Wendy's in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. “If they can do it in SeaTac, we can do it in Seattle too.”
At the same time as SeaTac voters cast their votes decisively for the Good Jobs Initiative, which will ensure a $15 minimum wage for more than 6000 workers in an around the airport, Seattle voters elected Ed Murray as mayor after a campaign where the candidates aggressively competed over who would do more to support low-wage workers. The mayor-elect has vowed to push for a $15-an-hour minimum wage, writing in his Economic Opportunity Agenda that "Seattle should not wait for state or federal action" to "move forward on achieving the goal of a $15/hour wage for large-scale industries like national big box and fast food brands."
Now that a small city of 30,000 has defeated the scare tactics of the Koch Brothers and cast their ballots for prosperity, workers and community supporters will be looking to Seattle to take the next step as our region leads the way forward in the $15 movement.
Inspired by the victory in SeaTac, Seattle fast food workers are determined to work with the new mayor & city council to ensure that their campaign commitments become realities. The voters have spoken: it's time to address the crisis of income inequality and build a sustainable economy from the middle-out, by putting more money in the paychecks of the people who need it most.
SeaTac Proposition 1 will will ensure a $15 minimum wage for more than 6000 workers in an around the airport, including workers at the airport McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, and Starbucks.
Sparked by this summer's fast food & coffee strikes, Good Jobs Seattle is a growing movement which seeks to build a sustainable future for Seattle's economy from the middle out — by turning poverty-wage jobs in fast food and other industries into good jobs that offer opportunities for a better future and pay enough for workers to afford basic necessities like food, clothing and rent. Good Jobs Seattle is supported by organizations including Washington Community Action Network, Working Washington, OneAmerica, SEIU Healthcare 775NW and hundreds of workers and grassroots supporters.
###
Contact: Sage Wilson, Good Jobs Seattle. sage@workingwa.org