RENTON, Wash — On Monday night, Renton city council members voted to reject a proposal to raise the minimum wage and instead move the initiative to the February 2024 Special Election.
Currently, the statewide minimum wage is $15.74 an hour. The initiative was led by Raise the Wage Renton to increase it to more than $19.
The resolution was moved by Councilmember Carmen Rivera and seconded by Councilmember Ruth Pérez. Council members James Alberson, Jr., Ryan McIrvin, Valerie O'Halloran, Ed Prince and Kim-Khánh Văn voted against passing the resolution.
Councilmember James Alberson, Jr. stated his opposition to raising the minimum wage, saying a living wage and a minimum wage are not the same concept.
"In recent years, the two terms have become synonymous and they are not. When you think about what is being done here, we're trying to make people a little more comfortable in this station but not necessarily move them to a different place," he said.
Councilmember Ryan McIrvin expressed support for raising the minimum wage to support worker mobility, disagreeing with Councilmember Alberson, Jr. He emphasized a higher minimum wage to give workers more flexibility to pursue higher education. However, he favored the initiative going to an election for voters to decide.
"It's not a bad thing to let the people have a say on this," Councilmember McIrvin said during the council meeting, "...when people see the good it can cause and see the disparity, I think it will pass and so I hope the informed voter should it go to the ballot to vote yes."
Renton City Councilmember Carmen Rivera, a strong proponent of the resolution advocated for it to be passed early on to better prepare businesses ahead of time.
"Let's work with our small business for an easy transition. Let's take an extra two and a half months to do that," she said during the meeting, "...our voters are going to vote for this. We know our voters, they're going to vote for this."
The Raise the Wage Renton campaign gathered enough signatures to put the initiative in the February Special Election, but organizers wanted city council members to adopt the measure outright.
"Four out of seven council members need to vote yes in order for this ordinance to be submitted outright and avoid the need of a costly special election,” said Guillermo Zazueta, chair of Raise the Wage Renton.
According to the campaign's website, the push is for Renton's minimum wage to match cities like Tukwila at more than $19 an hour. Organizers say businesses with less than 15 employees would be exempt.
"For these small businesses, between 15 to 500 employees. They'll have a phasing-in period with about an average rate increase of $1 a year,” said Zazueta.
"I want further discussion and there to be a forum and people to be able to speak because this directly affects the future, and small businesses are an integral part of the community,” said Renton resident Marcus Olson.
Small business owners in Renton brought their concerns directly to city hall during a meeting in November.
"By raising minimum wage, and not providing funding for the businesses that suffer is really going to break our backs,” said one business owner.
During the meeting, some residents said it should be up to the voters to decide.
Those pushing for higher pay say in Renton, it's needed now.
"If you are a single adult on minimum wage, in order for you to afford a modest one-bedroom, you would have to work 77 hours a week," said Zazueta.