$15 Minimum Wage Near Seattle Faces Legal Challenge
Affects workers near airport
A judge on Friday will hear a legal challenge to the voter-approved initiative enacting a $15 minimum wage for travel and hospitality sector workers in a Seattle suburb that is home to the region's main international airport.
King County Superior Court Judge Andrea Darvas, who in August ruled the measure struck from the ballot in a decision subsequently overturned on appeal, is expected to issue a ruling on the case immediately following oral arguments.
The measure applies only in the city of SeaTac and mandates that some 6,300 workers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and nearby hotels, car rental agencies and parking lots receive a minimum hourly wage more than double the federal minimum rate of $7.25. Its supporters said they believe Darvas will rule against them.