OLYMPIA, Wash. — Talk of raising the minimum wage for Olympia workers is raising concerns with business owners.
Earlier this month, members of the Thurston-Lewis-Mason Central Labor Council and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 367 presented the city’s finance committee with a proposal to raise the minimum wage.
The representatives called the presentation, “Olympia Needs a Workers’ Bill of Rights.”
“You can’t live in this area if you’re making minimum wage,” said Rachelle Martin, president of the Thurston-Lewis-Mason Central Labor Council.
Martin said Olympia’s city council should adopt an ordinance to raise the minimum wage at least to more than $20 an hour.
Olympia workers currently make $16.28 an hour, the state’s minimum hourly wage.
Gary Potter, owner of Left Bank Pastry, said most of his 28 employees make more than that, especially after tips, but he said going over a $20 an hour base would likely force him to raise prices, and perhaps layoff employees.
“We don’t have that kind of wiggle room,” said Potter. “And that’s not to make more money, that’s just to break even. That’s so that we don’t go out of business.”
"It's a lot of fearmongering," said Martin, who said the city should be open to compromising with business owners about exceptions.
In Martin’s presentation to the city, she cited a study that found a living wage in Olympia is $24 an hour for a single adult working full-time, or $41 an hour to support one child and one adult.
Olympia City Council Member Jim Cooper has supporting raising the minimum wage in Olympia since 2015.
Cooper said there is interest in City Hall to raise the minimum wage, but noted businesses would need to be part of the discussion.
”We have to think about this, and get it right so it’s sort of a balance for small business and workers,” said Cooper.
The full city council will be briefed on the proposal Oct. 22.
No date or formal proposal has been scheduled by the council.