Doubling the Minimum Wage Is on the Agenda in Seattle—and Nationally

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http://www.thenation.com/blog/179650/doubling-minimum-wage-agenda-seattle-and-nationally


Demonstrators in downtown Seattle (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

The dramatic progress of the movement to make the minimum wage a living wage was highlighted on May Day when Seattle Mayor Ed Murray unveiled a plan to double the base pay for workers over the coming decade.

A year ago, President Obama and others saw raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25-an-hour to $9-an-hour as the great leap forward.

This week, the newly elected mayor of one of America’s largest and most prosperous cities proposed a plan that would, in a series of steps over the coming decade, take the base wage as high as $18 an hour. Something big is happening; the activist coalition Working Washington hailed the announcement of the mayor's plan as "an incredible accomplishment." Recalling "strikes, marches, boycotts and other mobilizations" by fast-food workers in Seattle that raised the call for a $15-an-hour basic wage, the labor-backed group noted that, "Less than a year later, we are on the verge of achieving a $15 minimum wage that ensures every worker in Seattle can support themselves, afford the basics, and contribute to the economy."

While they are celebrating the progress that has been made, however, Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant and others say they still hope to improve upon the mayor's plan. The councilmember says she'll be working in coming weeks for changes that would speed up the implementation of wage increases, eliminate loopholes for big businesses and protect the interests of workers who rely on tips. “Our work is far from done,” says Sawant, who has helped to organize a grassroots “15 Now” movement for a rapid increase in wages. “This is a historic moment to recognize the power of grassroots organizing,” she said after the mayor’s plan was announced. “It is a call to action.”