SeaTac’s Proposition 1 would create a $15-an-hour minimum wage for an estimated 6,300 workers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and its nearby hotels, car-rental agencies and parking lots. That represents a 63 percent increase over Washington state’s current hourly minimum of $9.19.
The measure also calls for annual increases tied to inflation, paid sick leave and tip protection. Airport-related employers would have to offer more work to part-time employees before hiring additional part-timers. And if an affected business is sold, the new owner would have to keep existing employees for at least 90 days. Those requirements can be waived in a union contract.
Supporters say it would lift low-wage workers out of poverty, give them more money to spend at local stores and restaurants, and reduce staff turnover. Supporters include labor and community groups.
Opponents say employers would be less likely to hire young, inexperienced workers, and local-taxpayer money would be diverted away from things like parks and police to cover the law’s enforcement costs. Opponents include Alaska Airlines and other affected businesses, including hotels, car-rental companies and restaurants.
