Advocates of a higher minimum wage in the small city of SeaTac, Wash. declared victory Tuesday in a tight mail-in vote on a proposal that will give hospitality and transportation workers in and near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport paid sick leave, wage theft protection, and hourly pay of $15.
That sum -- staggering by minimum wage standards and more than twice the federal rate of $7.25 -- eclipses the highest city and state rates, San Francisco's $10.55 per hour and Washington State's $9.19, respectively. But SeaTac's new rate is not the highest minimum wage in the country. In fact, it lands in the middle of the pack among airports, which pay hourly workers well into the double digits, like St. Louis International Airport's $15.92 per hour, and Los Angeles LAX's rate of $15.37.
Read Full Article »