http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2021898111_seatacproposition1xml.html
A $15-an-hour minimum wage for SeaTacs hospitality and transportation workers would boost not only paychecks, but also the local economy, according to a just-released study.
Whether or not voters believe in the broader benefits could determine the fate of the Nov. 5 ballot initiative.
Puget Sound Sage, a nonprofit community and labor organization, estimated in a 32-page report released Wednesday that total annual wages for affected workers would increase by $40 million. With more spending money, those workers in turn would create at least 400 new jobs and $14 million in additional income for the region, the group said.
Opponents say it wouldnt benefit SeaTac economically, but at a minimum, between 15 and 20 percent of the people who work at the airport also live in SeaTac, said co-author Nicole Vallestero Keenan, a policy analyst at Puget Sound Sage. On top of that, theres a number of local businesses in SeaTac that cater to airport workers. Theyre very likely to see a boost.
SeaTacs Proposition 1 calls for a $15-an-hour living wage for an estimated 6,300 workers at Sea-Tac International Airport and its nearby hotels, car-rental agencies and parking lots. That represents a 63 percent pay raise over Washington states current minimum wage of $9.19 an hour.