$15 minimum wage for SeaTac

[Henry Rogue]

Likely outcome for this area, higher unemployment.

Tuesday's off-year general elections include races for governor, mayor and state legislatures. But two special ballot initiatives to raise the minimum wage—part of a growing effort across the country to increase it—may be the most watched by businesses.

Voters in the small town of SeaTac, Wash., will decide if workers around the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport will have a minimum wage of $15 an hour. The state of Washington already has the highest minimum wage of any state at $9.19 per hour.

And voters in New Jersey will decide if their minimum wage should be $8.25 an hour, one dollar over the federal minimum wage. The measure would also include automatic annual adjustments for inflation, called "indexing."

States and cities cannot set a minimum wage lower than the federal standard—currently at $7.25 an hour— but they do have the power to raise it above the federal mark.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101171531

 

[Acala]

Notice that the Washington law only covers government-granted monopolies. Customers don't have much of a choice but to use the airport even if all the prices go up.

 

[PRB]

Let's see liberals prove that it'll be better for the economy. Or see who they blame if it doesn't.

 

[Henry Rogue]

Notice that the Washington law only covers government-granted monopolies. Customers don't have much of a choice but to use the airport even if all the prices go up.

They are counting on it.

WASHINGTON STATE: Voters in the small Seattle suburb of SeaTac are deciding whether workers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and nearby large hotels should be paid a $15-an-hour minimum wage and obtain a handful of sick days. Washington state already has the highest minimum wage at $9.19.

SEATAC, Wash. — The SeaTac ‘Good Jobs Initiative’ to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour for workers in Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and at airport-related businesses was winning 54-46%, with 3,283 votes counted Tuesday night.

Under the mail-in voting system in Washington state, ballots mailed with Tuesday’s postmark are still counted once they come in. So votes will continue to be counted.

Could the small Seattle suburb of SeaTac set a national precedent?

The measure, prompted by frustration over a lack of a federal wage increase initiative, isn’t just on Washington state’s ballot as New Jersey, Alaska, South Dakota and Idaho either have it on the ballot or are working to gather signatures.

Supporters of the proposal were celebrating Tuesday night’s election results.

“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.”

The proposal, if it is approved, will ensure a $15 minimum wage for more than 6,000 workers in and around the airport.

http://q13fox.com/2013/11/05/seatac-15-minimum-wage-proposal-winning-big-in-election-results/
They're not all government workers. I'm not sure monopolies can support this increase. If their margins are tight, even a small decline in customers could fold them.

 

[tod evans]

Good!

There's lots of towns in the midwest that'll have marked improvement in their fast food establishments just as soon as the rest of the entitled class moves to the coast.

Pass more laws faster!

Hell, pay these fine specimens of humanity $45.00hr.

While we're at it Bellhops deserve $200.00 tips for greeting you at hotels near the airport, this fee will be added to your ticket price.

 

[Henry Rogue]

Good!

There's lots of towns in the midwest that'll have marked improvement in their fast food establishments just as soon as the rest of the entitled class moves to the coast.

Pass more laws faster!

Hell, pay these fine specimens of humanity $45.00hr.

While we're at it Bellhops deserve $200.00 tips for greeting you at hotels near the airport, this fee will be added to your ticket price.

Speed up the eventual collapse? Might as well get it over and done with.

 

[Working Poor]

Notice that the Washington law only covers government-granted monopolies. Customers don't have much of a choice but to use the airport even if all the prices go up.

Hey they do have a choice they may not like the choices.

 

[Acala]

Hey they do have a choice they may not like the choices.

If you live in Seattle and you have business in New York, you really don't have a rational choice - not to save $5 on a burger.

 

[Zippyjuan]

This is basically at the airport.

 

[Henry Rogue]

This is basically at the airport.

Ever hear that skit they use to do on the "Bob and Tom morning radio show", "Mister Obvious"?

 

[seapilot]

Observation on what is happening at SeaTac now they have a 15 an hour minimum wage. The businesses are going more automated. An example is a big valet parking company that used to have people pay for someone to park their car has opened a parking lot for automated check in and check out paying with a credit card only self park. If it makes the company a good profit it probably will make its other lots the same way. Less valets and cashiers = job losses.

I imagine the fast food companies might do it too push some buttons like a person does at a candy machine and out pops a burger and they have one person stocking the machines. This is only going to accelerate automation and robotics replacing which was once low paying work. The automation is more cost effective now.

 

[Czolgosz]

Good!

There's lots of towns in the midwest that'll have marked improvement in their fast food establishments just as soon as the rest of the entitled class moves to the coast.

Pass more laws faster!

Hell, pay these fine specimens of humanity $45.00hr.

While we're at it Bellhops deserve $200.00 tips for greeting you at hotels near the airport, this fee will be added to your ticket price.

Speed up the eventual collapse? Might as well get it over and done with.

Yes, yes, and more yes.

I'd rep, if not on mobile.

 

[juvanya]

I know someone who worked on this campaign. They are fun to argue with and were completely delusional about what this will do. They kept saying how workers out there are struggling blah blah. Well, we shall see how they do on $0 an hour.

Honestly, Im ok with this. A huge increase will be a great lab experiment to see what happens. Will unemployment skyrocket as we predict? Will Portland or another airport gain traffic as airlines reroute to cut costs? Will the airport companies lobby for the airport to be ceded to another town that has a lower wage?

That last one would be hilarious.

 

[Origanalist]

I know someone who worked on this campaign. They are fun to argue with and were completely delusional about what this will do. They kept saying how workers out there are struggling blah blah. Well, we shall see how they do on $0 an hour.

Honestly, Im ok with this. A huge increase will be a great lab experiment to see what happens. Will unemployment skyrocket as we predict? Will Portland or another airport gain traffic as airlines reroute to cut costs? Will the airport companies lobby for the airport to be ceded to another town that has a lower wage?

That last one would be hilarious.

Portland is a bit of a drive, it would sort of defeat the purpose of flying to some extent. I guess the Port of Seattle could route traffic into Burien, but I doubt they would.

 

[juvanya]

Portland is a bit of a drive, it would sort of defeat the purpose of flying to some extent. I guess the Port of Seattle could route traffic into Burien, but I doubt they would.

Well some places use it as a hub. Those could be transferred. Spokane is another option. Vancouver is somewhat of an option. I am sure there are other airports nearby that could be expanded. Its unfortunate that a bunch of carpet baggers and lazy money grubbers can destroy something like this.

 

[Origanalist]

Well some places use it as a hub. Those could be transferred. Spokane is another option. Vancouver is somewhat of an option. I am sure there are other airports nearby that could be expanded. Its unfortunate that a bunch of carpet baggers and lazy money grubbers can destroy something like this.

It's true they could move the hub to Portland, and it would serve SEATAC right. The only problem there is Portland is full of progressives too.