Blogs Jan 3, 2014 at 2:27 pm

Mayor Murray to Issue Executive Order to Raise Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour for About 600 City Workers

Goldy
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Comments

1
Ed Murray can do no right in your eyes, can he?
ProstSeattle on January 3, 2014 at 2:30 PM Report this
2
It may be somewhat symbolic since the city is already quite a good employer, but it does set the bar for city jobs. People will now know they can get $15/hour at the city so they are going to wonder why other employers are shortchanging them.
fletc3her on January 3, 2014 at 2:34 PM Report this
3
I wonder how those already making $15 an hour will react when people in lower-level jobs start getting the same salary. My guess is there will have to be some adjustments to be fair to those people.

Not saying that's a bad thing, just pointing out that eventually this will likely cost more than you're projecting.
bigyaz on January 3, 2014 at 2:36 PM Report this
4
Jesus, Goldy. I love you, but let's be appropriately happy about this.

It's a message, and a great one. It says the city stands behind this idea. This "small step" bullshit is ridiculous - it's clearly not meant to be anything BUT a message and is literally all he can do via executive order.

HAPPY TIMES, GOLDY. HAPPY.
jnmend on January 3, 2014 at 2:46 PM Report this
5
Do the Stranger's unpaid interns not deserve a living wage?

Will the Stranger adopt the $15 minimum wage and only use suppliers & printers who do the same?

Change starts at home kids.
You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me on January 3, 2014 at 2:46 PM Report this
6
This sucks. I was about to start my own city government in Seattle and employ a bunch of civil servants, but now this new minimum wage will prevent me from expanding the government and probably cause it to go into receivership.
seatackled on January 3, 2014 at 2:48 PM Report this
7
@5 - You need to update your screed. They haven't had unpaid interns for a long time now. The rest of your copypasta has a legitimate point, but it really doesn't need to be made in every single thread about minimum wage.
MacCrocodile on January 3, 2014 at 2:49 PM Report this
8
Kshama Sawant's new minimum wage campaign website—15now.org
pure nickpickery (or...is...it?) but that website belongs to one "Calvin Priest" of/or-about: "232 Belmont Ave E" and not Ms Sawant per-se (if you will)

in anycase, well done Mayor Murray!
theophrastus on January 3, 2014 at 2:51 PM Report this
9
This is fantastic. Way to go, Mayor Murray!
Dominic Holden on January 3, 2014 at 2:53 PM Report this
10
@1 What would you prefer? A blow job? I reported it for what it is: a fulfilled campaign promise and a welcome but small first step. Did I mischaracterize this?
Goldy on January 3, 2014 at 2:55 PM Report this
11
Hey, if Murray wanted quick, evenhanded Slog coverage he'd have had Sawant at the presser. He knows the rules.
TomJohnsonJr on January 3, 2014 at 2:57 PM Report this
12
At least it's an action, albeit small. Actions are preferable to words here.
MLM on January 3, 2014 at 3:08 PM Report this
13
@11 This was evenhanded coverage. That's clearly not what some in the comment thread are demanding.
Goldy on January 3, 2014 at 3:11 PM Report this
14
Come on. This barely counts for anything. Get back to me with flowers and balloons when Murray proposes to raise the minimum wage in the entire city to $15 in one year, not five.
floater on January 3, 2014 at 3:22 PM Report this
15
By my reckoning, this makes Kshama Sawant the most effective council member in Seattle's history. Has she even been sworn in yet?
Pol Pot on January 3, 2014 at 3:26 PM Report this
16
@13, dammit, I meant to change "evenhanded" to "effusive" but my mouse, she clicks so fast!
TomJohnsonJr on January 3, 2014 at 3:37 PM Report this
17
It's funny because those Seattle Center employees are not guaranteed $15/hr by contract when/if they work for Hansen's new arena.
ChefJoe on January 3, 2014 at 3:49 PM Report this
18
Does this proposal include on-call workers? Or just permanent part time and full time?
tacomagirl on January 3, 2014 at 4:00 PM Report this
19
When is the Port of Seattle raising the minimum wage in Seattle and Sea-Tac airport to $15/hour?
Will in Seattle on January 3, 2014 at 4:16 PM Report this
20
@15 it's Monday at 3:30
Will in Seattle on January 3, 2014 at 4:17 PM Report this
21
@7 Where did you get this news that the Stranger no longer uses unpaid interns. They were still laughingly using the moniker "Unpaid Intern" right up until the recent court ruling that said unpaid internship were exploitive and illegal, and an increasing number of readers started giving the Stranger shit about this practice. But as far as I know, all the Stranger did was stop using "Unpaid Intern" for slog posts. How do you know they are indeed paying their interns now?
ian on January 3, 2014 at 4:33 PM Report this
22
@21 - The last dozen or so times this was brought up, it has been answered. Afraid I don't have a link, but if the staffers aren't tired of answering the question, maybe they can shed more light on the issue.
MacCrocodile on January 3, 2014 at 4:44 PM Report this
23
I hope Ms. Sawant runs for mayor in four years. Clearly, she is the one setting the agenda while the already hapless Murray follows along.
Pol Pot on January 3, 2014 at 4:45 PM Report this
24
@21 We have paid apprentices.
Goldy on January 3, 2014 at 4:56 PM Report this
26
I recently wrote an article about how an increase in the minimum wage rate increases unemployment. You can read it here: http://wp.me/p3N9zD-4e
Robert_Boxer on January 3, 2014 at 6:11 PM Report this
27
@26- why would anyone want to read your fascist, anti-worker, let-them-eat-cake-trickle-down-objectivist-Randian bullshit musings?
If any one wants that, they can watch FAUX news.
Pol Pot on January 3, 2014 at 6:42 PM Report this
28
@26 i skimmed your blog post and didn't see a single citation, fact, or shred of evidence. So why the hell should we take your word for it?
JonnoN on January 3, 2014 at 7:31 PM Report this
29
...This just in...Murray cures cancer...Goldy reports, sure but Murray does nothing for all of those who are cancer-free...in more important news, Sawant has a website!...
Senor Guy on January 3, 2014 at 7:48 PM Report this
30
So, we'll hyperventilate to praise the SeaTac $15 min wage law that would cover a worker population of about 6,300 workers but if Ed Murray enacts a min wage of $15 for city workers (10,000 of them) it's a big yawn at the Stranger HQ.
ChefJoe on January 3, 2014 at 11:22 PM Report this
31
I don't like the tendency for the public sector to pay a large premium vs. private sector employers. Public sector services are often labor intensive and often some of the most important services. Their potential amplitude is circumscribed (if only modestly, in this case) by the upward secular trend in their unit costs.
alfresco on January 4, 2014 at 1:03 AM Report this
32
@7,

You're expecting a troll to drop its chew toy?
keshmeshi on January 4, 2014 at 2:54 AM Report this
33
@8 since the website promotes Kshwama almost as much as the $15 min wage, it would look too self serving if it were registered in her name.
WestSeven on January 4, 2014 at 5:26 AM Report this
34
Alright Goldy, so the mayor makes a huge statement saying all gov't workers get 15 bucks, which you say is nothing, and the councilermember makes website which you think is a big deal....yeah you're not biased at all...
j2patter on January 4, 2014 at 10:24 AM Report this
35
Let me restate this in Goldy logic. The Mayor got 600 people $15 dollars an hour, which is small and OMG we hate the mayor. Sawant got no one $15 dollars an hour, but yay we love Sawant!
j2patter on January 4, 2014 at 10:28 AM Report this
36
Fuck off, Goldy. And I am going to be so, so happy to see you defeated in the primaries.
on January 4, 2014 at 8:55 PM Report this
37
@34 - Where did Goldy say it was "nothing"? It seems like he was giving praise to Murray for following through on a campaign promise while recognizing that said promise only impacts 6% of the city's workforce. In that context, 6% is a small step forward. Unless you want to argue that 6% is nothing or it's a huge number, you're full of shit.
Pridge Wessea on January 4, 2014 at 9:18 PM Report this
38
@34 - Actually, let's just go with you're full of shit.
Pridge Wessea on January 4, 2014 at 9:19 PM Report this
39
@38 glad you can focus on one word and miss the whole intent of my comment, you and goldy make a good pair
j2patter on January 5, 2014 at 2:15 PM Report this
40
For example am argument could be made that a website is a very small step, but no Goldy didn't chose to make that argument.
.so yeah if goldy going to constantly rim sawant the least he can do is give Murry a rough tug job.
j2patter on January 5, 2014 at 2:18 PM Report this
41
@39,40 - Why is your comment history hidden?
Pridge Wessea on January 5, 2014 at 10:28 PM Report this

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