UW researchers have done an initial survey of the price impacts of Seattle's minimum wage law — and so far, there's effectively zero price impact from the first phase-in towards $15.
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WATCH NOW: Live online forum on secure scheduling
LIVE THURSDAY FEBRUARY 4TH: Seattle baristas & fast food workers hold online forum on secure scheduling... and call for action.
Read MoreWATCH: Grocery industry lobbyist says minimum wage is either a shot to the heart
It's ok if you didn't see this live as it happened at the State Capitol yesterday — it's a shot to the heart, but it's not too late. And also, it may be a maiming. And grocery stores are going to move to Montana?!
Read MoreWe are going to need a bigger bowl
Back in early April 2015, a Seattle Times editorial writer suggested that one way we could look at the impact of $15 on Seattle was to look at the pho restaurants in the city. They implied that the immigrant communities would not be able to handle higher wages or higher prices. They suggested we “follow the pho.” So we did. Turns out that in less than a year since the minimum wage phase in began we are up +4.
Read MoreWhat if Ronald McBaumgartner’s greatest fear came true?
Workers won $15 in Seattle, the city is booming, and the far right is starting to panic. After all, they’ve tried to scare us for decades with a sky is falling story whenever people raise wages or put into place worker protections. So when Seattle raise wages and booms, they start getting desperate. The latest tantrum comes from State Senator Michael Baumgartner from the Spokane area (where they just passed a citywide paid sick leave ordinance).
Read MoreNew minimum wage, city booms
Last year, in January, Crystal Thompson was being paid $9.47 an hour working at Domino’s in Seattle. This year, on January 1, 2016, she saw her pay rate go up to $13 an hour for the same job. This wasn’t a surprise or a gift, Crystal knew it was coming because she was one of the leaders who made it happen.
Read More"Our schedule was supposed to be out Monday, but it wasn't out until Wednesday.
That's one week. But we have to request vacation time 3 weeks in advance. l'm a shift supervisor but my baristas are getting shafted."
Read MoreAs a shift supervisor, I know better than to try and call out of my shift...
…no matter how sick I am. It is common knowledge that you are responsible for finding your own coverage, and it's also common knowledge that you won't find any. One day I was so sick I spread out some cardboard on the floor so I could at least lay down and my baristas called me when they needed me.”
Read MoreThis could be the exact opposite of Seattle losing food service jobs
Seattle's minimum wage went up on January 1st, but Eltana bagel bakery is apparently having such a hard time finding workers that they're offering a $250 gift card for referring new hires.
Read MoreSeattle minimum wage rises to $13, $12.50, $12, and/or $10.50 on January 1st
Seattle's march to a citywide $15 minimum wage takes another leap forward on Friday, when the city's minimum wage rises to $13/hour for many workers. Meanwhile, the rest of the state will not see an increase at all, as the statewide minimum remains stuck at just $9.47/hour for another year — substantially less than it takes to afford a 1-bedroom apartment in Bellingham, Bremerton, Lewiston, Longview, Tacoma, the Tri-Cities, Wenatchee, Yakima, or just about anywhere else in the state.
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