The city council of Seattle on Monday unanimously approved a $15 per hour minimum wage throughout the city, the highest in the US, the Seattle Times reported.
The measure was cheered by fast-food workers and labour activists, but denounced by many business owners who said it would force them to raise prices or cut into meagre profit margins.
The minimum wage in Seattle was at the $9.32 level prevalent throughout Washington state. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25.
The measure will be phased in over the next seven years, and also includes a lower training wage for teens and disabled workers. The effects of the new law will be closely watched throughout the country.
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.