Councilmember proposes $19 minimum wage for unincorporated King County
King County Council considers $19 minimum wage
King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilary will hold a press conference to announce a proposal that would establish a $19 minimum wage for Unincorporated King County.
SEATTLE - During a session on Tuesday, King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay proposed legislation that would create a minimum wage of $18.99 per hour for unincorporated King County.
The proposal would require the full $18.99 per hour only for the largest employers. Smaller businesses would be required to pay $2 and $3 less per hour in the first year, based on the number of employees and annual revenue
The smaller businesses would gradually start paying more over time so all businesses would eventually pay the same minimum wage.
According to Zahilay's proposal, urban unincorporated areas can often lag behind neighboring cities in economic measures, with wages being a major factor. Skyway currently has its minimum wage at the state-set $15.74 per hour, but it borders Tukwila, where the minimum wage is $18.99, and Seattle, where the minimum wage is $18.69.
On the state minimum wage, a worker would have to work 103 hours per week to afford a modest one-bedroom rental in King County, Zahilay said, citing data from the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
The legislation will be considered by the King County Council in the coming month.
"Workers in unincorporated King County are always left out of policies that increase the minimum wage in neighboring cities," said Zahilay. "That means someone working in Skyway could be paid several dollars less per hour than if they went a block north to Seattle or a block west to Tukwila. That’s not right. If passed, our proposal to increase the minimum wage in unincorporated King County would be a big step toward investing in the workers and economy of every corner of our region."
If approved, the minimum wage would take effect on Jan. 1 with inflation-based annual percentage increases annually each year.