Ex-Seattle Councilmember Sawant strikes with coffee workers

Ex-Seattle Councilmember strikes with Capitol Hill coffee workers

Socialist and former Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant protested with striking workers outside Cherry Street Coffee House on Capitol Hill.

SEATTLE - Socialist and former Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant protested with striking workers outside Cherry Street Coffee House on Capitol Hill.

Cherry Street Coffee House shut down all four of its stores after workers went on strike. Sawant's organization Workers Strike Back says the strikers are demanding a living wage and "an end to sexual harassment" at the locations.

According to Workers Strike Back, the strike began after Cherry Street's management supported a City Council initiative to repeal Seattle's minimum wage law. Joy Hollingsworth, who now represents Capitol Hill after Sawant stepped down, backpedaled on her original support of the repeal in August. Seattle passed a law in 2015 to incrementally raise minimum wage every year for all workers.

Seattle's Office of Labor Standards says that for the past 10 years, "small businesses" under 500 employees are able to pay less than minimum wage if they also contribute to workers' medical benefits, and the workers themselves earn tips. As of 2024, that sub-minimum is $17.25 per hour, with a requirement of $2.72 per hour paid into medical benefits, or the workers earning $2.72 per hour in tips.

Starting in fall 2025, however, all businesses — no matter their size — will have to pay workers minimum wage, with no tip credits.