Poverty-wage business model under increasing pressure as workers demand change.
Read More“Some of the paperwork they submitted today may not even include valid signatures from real people.”
Statement regarding minimum wage referendum signatures submitted today:
Elections officials must closely scrutinize every signature submitted today in light of the corrupt practices by Forward Seattle’s paid signature gatherers.
Read More"Some of the paperwork they submitted today may not even include valid signatures from real people."
Elections officials must closely scrutinize every signature submitted today in light of the corrupt practices by Forward Seattle's paid signature gatherers.
Read MoreCounty prosecutor asked to investigate corrupt signature gathering by Forward Seattle in violation of State law
A formal request for investigation has been sent to County Prosector Dan Satterberg alleging that Forward Seattle has violated state law governing corrupt practices on referendum petitions.
Read MoreTUESDAY: Living wage supporters to leaflet outside businesses trying to repeal the minimum wage
From Fremont to South Lake Union to Capitol Hill, Working Washington supporters reach out to customers at businesses leading deceptive campaign to repeal minimum wage
Read More
Forward Seattle is misleading voters
We have heard numerous reports that Forward Seattle signature gatherers are misleading voters about their effort to repeal the minimum wage, and now we have evidence
Read More"If your business supports poverty wages, we won't support your business."
Working Washington calls for boycott of businesses trying to lower the minimum wage, launches SUPPORTseattleWORKERS.com.
Read MoreTODAY 12:45 at Sea-Tac: Workers, 15Now to lead major demonstration at Port meeting for true $15 wage
BREAKING: Airport workers & 15Now supporters will hold a major demonstration TODAY in support of the true $15 wage that SeaTac voters passed & the Port of Seattle is trying to water down. The protest will take place AT SEA-TAC AIRPORT before the Port of Seattle meeting there. 12:45 TODAY Serious demonstration by airport workers & 15Now at Sea-Tac Airport SeaTac Airport, International Arrival Hall Near Baggage Claim 1
At their meeting today at 1 pm on the 2nd floor of Sea-Tac Airport, Port Commissioners are expected to released a watered down wage policy that falls well short of the true $15/hour that airport workers & supporters are calling for and that SeaTac voters passed in November.
Due to the Port's opposition to $15 in SeaTac — including joining a lawsuit with Alaska Airlines and other big corporations to overturn it — 4,700 airport workers have lost more than $15 million in wages over the last 6 months.
###
Working Washington unites low-wage workers to fight for a fair economy where everyone can support themselves, afford the basics, and contribute to the economy. We launched the fast food strikes that sparked the fight for $15 in Seattle; we helped lead the successful campaign to pass $15 in SeaTac; and we work in coalition with unions, faith groups, and grassroots organizations to hold corporations & politicians accountable to community needs.
Franchise suit has no merit, but they *are* right about one thing...
Working Washington issues the following statement on franchise lawsuit to overturn Seattle’s $15 minimum wage:
Inspired by fast food workers whose strikes & protests challenged a business model that pays poverty wages while corporations bank billions in profits, Seattle's $15 minimum wage law is good for workers, good for our economy, and good for our independent businesses.But McDonald's and other multi-billion-dollar corporations don't want to see Seattle's overwhelming support for $15 spread across the country. They know they are losing the public debate, so they had their DC-based based lobby group, the International Franchise Association, cook up a last-ditch kitchen-sink lawsuit.
Seattle's minimum wage law correctly treats franchise systems as single entities over the course of the phase-in period because that's how they function. Like other large corporate chains, franchise systems are highly standardized arrangements which share an entire business format, not just a tradename. Unlike independent enterprises, franchisees benefit from globally-recognized brands, national marketing campaigns, well-honed operational systems, and standardized purchasing, design, promotional, employment, training, and scheduling systems.
The IFA's legal challenge has no merit, but their lawyers & lobbyists are right about one thing. By ensuring every worker can support themselves, afford the basics, and contribute to the economy, Seattle's $15 minimum wage may in fact make it slightly more difficult for giant franchise systems to take massive profits from their poverty-wage business models.
That may be a problem for corporate executives at McDonald's and Subway — but it’s a historic accomplishment for Seattle workers. We’ve changed the national conversation about the minimum wage and our economy, and it’s not changing back.
More information:
- McDonald's and other large businesses serve on the board of the International Franchise Association, which represents both franchisors and franchisees.
- Legal experts are available for comment. Contact Sage Wilson at sage@workingwa.org to arrange.
###
Working Washington unites low-wage workers to fight for a fair economy where everyone can support themselves, afford the basics, and contribute to the economy. We launched the fast food workers’ movement in Seattle with the May 30, 2013 strikes; we helped lead the successful campaign to pass $15 in SeaTac; and we work in coalition with unions, faith groups, and other organizations to hold corporations & politicians accountable to community needs.
Contact: Sage Wilson, Working Washington, sage@workingwa.org
Workers' historic victory has put a stake in the heart of 1% economics. It's not coming back to life.
Working Washington issues this official statement in response to anti-minimum wage efforts by Tim Eyman, a DC-based lobby group for franchisors & franchisees, and other out-of-the-mainstream business groups:
Fast food workers took on the crisis of our poverty-wage economy, stood up to threats of retaliation, and risked their jobs. They galvanized a movement that defeated some of the largest & most profitable corporations in the world, and they made history by passing a $15 minimum wage for Seattle.
It's no surprise that these same corporate interests are now desperate to undo Seattle's momentous achievement: when you strike a blow against income inequality, it only makes sense that the top 1% will try to strike back.
But it's not going to work. Seventy-four percent of Seattle voters support a $15 minimum wage because they know that an added $3 billion in the pockets of 100,000 poverty-wage workers is good for those workers, good for their communities, & good for the whole economy.
A year ago, fast food workers sparked the $15 movement and built an overwhelming citywide consensus that every worker should be able to support themselves, afford the basics, and contribute to the economy.
Workers' historic victory has put a stake in the heart of 1% economics, and it's not coming back to life.
###
Working Washington unites low-wage workers to fight for a fair economy where everyone can support themselves, afford the basics, and contribute to the economy. We launched the fast food workers’ movement in Seattle with the May 30, 2013 strikes; we helped lead the successful campaign to pass $15 in SeaTac; and we work in coalition with unions, faith groups, and other organizations to hold corporations accountable to community needs.
Contact: Sage Wilson, Working Washington, sage@workingwa.org