Catherwood LibraryILR School

The mayor of Seattle, Ed Murray, announced his plan to raise the city?s minimum wage to $15 per hour, a little less than double the current minimum of $9.32. Under Washington State?s current minimum wage structure which is tied to inflation, it is estimated that it would take until 2024 for wages to reach above $15 per hour. Mayor Murray?s plan would also tie the new city minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index. The minimum wage would be implemented at different times for different sized businesses with the soonest change coming to big businesses, those employers with 500 or more employees, in 2017. Small businesses without tips and healthcare would have to pay the $15 per hour starting in 2019. For small businesses that tip their workers the new minimum would take effect in 2021. Of the 24 members appointed to the Mayor?s committee assembled to advise him on the minimum wage, 21 endorsed the plan that Mr. Murray presented earlier today.