Posts tagged Seattle
Seattle minimum wage set to increase to $22 in 2027
October 1, 2026 // Seattle's minimum wage is slated for an increase at the beginning of next year, according to an announcement from the city's Office of Labor Standards. On Jan. 1, 2027, the minimum wage for Washington's largest city will take an 84-cent climb, reaching $22.14. Washington state has the highest minimum wage of any other state in the country, which is currently $17.13.
Ballot Question 2 asks: Should public defenders have the right to unionize?
September 29, 2026 // Question 2 would allow employees of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, or CPCS, to participate in collective bargaining. If they negotiate a contract, CPCS would then be required to request the funding needed for that agreement from the governor within 30 days. The Yes On 2 campaign was organized to help grant public defenders the right to join a union. The campaign’s central argument states: CPCS employees should have the same opportunity to organize and negotiate collectively that many others have.
Union workers at Seattle Hilton reach deal to end 85-day strike
September 17, 2026 // The new contract comes as rising operational costs, including labor, continue to impact the hotel industry. Hotel owners and operators have previously expressed concerns about how rising wages might affect total revenue and hotel profitability. In New York City in May, union members of the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council ratified a new contract with the Hotel Association of New York, averting strikes ahead of the World Cup.
Boeing offers 10% raise to WA workers to head off union strike
September 14, 2026 // Boeing has issued its final contract proposal to SPEEA, covering over 16,000 engineers and technical workers. The deal offers an immediate 10% wage hike upon approval, a 4% raise in 2027, and guaranteed 4% minimum annual increases through 2030. SPEEA leadership is advising members to vote "Yes," though the official schedule for the ratification vote is yet to be announced.
Uber drivers say Waymo robotaxis are driving down their pay
August 31, 2026 // The Atlanta Rideshare Drivers Union is claiming that drivers have reported lower pay, longer waits between rides, and fewer fares since Waymo began offering its service in the city last June, Axios reports. As such, the union is calling on city and state leaders to curb Waymo’s expansion — and to consider some measures to easen its disruptive effects on their livelihoods.
Washington Security Guard Files Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit Against SPFPA Union for Illegal Religious Discrimination
August 31, 2026 // Complaint: Union officials repeatedly threatened worker with termination if he did not authorize union dues deductions in violation of his religious beliefs
WATCH: Seattle teachers could strike despite being among highest paid in US
August 27, 2026 // But district officials have publicly said that Seattle Schools are grappling with a looming $87 million budget deficit for the 2026–27 school year and a depleted $30 million rainy-day reserve, down from a recommended $135 million. Vicki Murray, senior education policy director at the free market nonprofit Washington Policy Center, said investing in great education means investing in teachers, but noted that Seattle teachers' salaries are among the highest paid in the country.
Seattle hotel workers strike hits 2 months, demanding better pay and healthcare
August 23, 2026 // Union workers at one of Seattle's busiest hotels are doubling down on their fight for better pay, year-round healthcare and protections from federal immigration agents as their strike reaches two months.
Seattle TV On-Air Talent Officially Wins Freedom from Unwanted SAG-AFTRA Union Bosses After Successful Decertification Vote
August 20, 2026 // The on-air staff at Seattle’s KOMO-TV have successfully won their independence from the union officials at the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The effort was led by Emmy-award winning reporter Jeremy Harris, who filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) seeking “decertification” to end SAG-AFTRA’s monopoly bargaining power over all on-air talent. Harris’s petition was filed with free legal aid from the National Right to Work Foundation.
New Jersey Revives the Fight To Reclassify Gig Workers as Employees
August 18, 2026 // All of these laws are designed to apply employee-style rules to gig workers, even if broad reclassification had failed to take off legislatively across the country. Yet recent rule making from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development shows that stringent ABC tests are unfortunately far from dead.