State Sen. Karen Keiser, D-33rd District, which includes Kent and SeaTac, issued this statement on Thursday after the state Supreme Court upheld Proposition 1, which raised the minimum wage in SeaTac to $15.
“This is a great day for the voters of SeaTac, employees at Sea-Tac International Airport and employees everywhere who now have confirmation that voters’ approval of a higher minimum wage is legally binding,” Keiser said.
“With this ruling, it is my hope that the Port of Seattle will accept the imprudence of its unfortunate and counterproductive opposition, and instead shift its efforts to honoring and implementing the will of the voters.
“The people of SeaTac called for a higher minimum wage and paid sick leave in a fair and open election and our state’s highest court has reaffirmed that choice. Private sector businesses off the Port’s property implemented the law in 2014. It is time for everyone at Sea-Tac Airport, including the Port of Seattle, to recognize the rule of law and ensure employees receive the full wages and paid sick leave they have earned.
“Just as the city of Seattle is demonstrating that a higher minimum wage is good for the middle class and for its economy, Sea-Tac International Airport can now do the same. Today (Thursday) our city and port can move forward and provide other communities a model for better pay for workers and a path toward a healthier community.
“The one disappointment is that the court’s ruling was not retroactive, which means employees may not receive back wages. I have already begun researching legislation for the 2016 session to make those raises retroactive to make sure those employees receive the back pay they were wrongly denied.”
State Attorney General Bob Ferguson liked the ruling as well.
“I’m pleased the court adopted my office’s proposed approach as a key part of its 5-4 decision,” Ferguson said. “This important ruling helps protect the rights of workers at SeaTac Airport and recognizes the broad authority state and local governments have to support their hard-working residents.”
Alaska Airlines, the Washington Restaurant Association, BF Foods and Filo Foods sued the City of SeaTac over the city’s $15-an-hour minimum wage ordinance, arguing it should not apply at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
A King County Superior Court judge ruled that the city doesn’t have the authority to set a minimum wage at the airport, because it’s owned by the port. The decision was appealed to the state Supreme Court and argued in June 2014.
The Attorney General’s brief, written by Solicitor General Noah Purcell, focused on an error in the district court’s opinion that none of the other parties in the case emphasized: the proper interpretation of Washington’s Minimum Wage Act. The Supreme Court agreed with the AG’s interpretation.
Tom Geiger, communications director for UFCW 21 union, also supported the decision.
“This is a great decision for the workers in SeaTac and the broader SeaTac community,” Geiger said. “The successful initiative was a critical part of jump-starting the national movement for higher wages and better benefits in the workplace.
“It spread from SeaTac to Seattle and communities all across the nation. With the court’s decision today, the national movement that has been picking up steam has even more momentum for raising standards in the workplace and reducing inequities in our economy.”
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
