Dear Commons Community,

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray (D) has proposed  to raise the minimum wage for city workers to $15 an hour, a local TV news station (KIRO 7) reports.

Murray said Friday he wants a recommendation on how to address the city’s minimum wage within four months, according to KIRO 7, which reports Murray also wants to avoid a vote.

This isn’t the first push to raise the city’s minimum wage. The AP reported in August that the City Council and others were met with opposition while considering an increase.

The effort to raise the minimum wage effort has gained momentum in the Northwest. Workers in the city of SeaTac won a $15 an hour minimum wage at the polls.  In the same election, Socialist City Council member Kshama Sawant rode the minimum wage issue to victory in Seattle. The fight here has sparked a national battle over the minimum wage with some Democrats planning to use the issue to win in the 2014 elections.

Some businesses advocates say a higher minimum wage will make it harder for companies in Seattle to survive. They cite Wal-Mart, which has all but refused to accept a Washington, D.C., decision to raise the minimum wage to $12.50 an hour in big box stores.   A higher minimum wage eliminates low wage jobs because that’s how small businesses cut costs and that ends up hurting the people it was supposed to benefit, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The minimum wage in Washington state, already one of the highest in the nation, jumped to $9.32 an hour on New Year’s Day.

My opinion is that this is a good move for workers especially those who barely can eke out a living on current minimum wage salaries.

Congratulations to Mayor Murray!

Tony