Minimum Wage Campaign: Is Initiative Best Way To Hike Pay?

By Gene JohnsonAssociated Press (AP) – Voters will decide whether Washington state should join more than a dozen others that have recently boosted their minimum wages. Initiative 1433 would raise the hourly minimum wage by about $4 over three years to $13.50. It also would require employers to provide paid sick leave of at least one hour for every 40 worked. Supporters include unions and the Seattle venture capitalist Nick Hanauer. They argue that no Washington state workers can get by making the current wage of $9.47 an hour. Opponents say they don’t necessarily oppose a more moderate raise, such as to $12, as long as it comes with certain conditions. They hope to see the wage phased in differently depending on the strength of an area’s economy and to have tips count toward wages.