Working Life

Within the past hour, the newest ballot total count shows the $15-an-hour minimum wage SeaTac initiative has WIDENED its lead — to 53 votes from just 19 a day before, which was a lead that had shrunk — a nice reversal from yesterday’s narrowed vote. And, in my estimation, this means the initiative will now likely come out on top at the end of the count.

Read the full story

With about 250-300 ballots left to count, the ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage to $15-an-hour in the city of SeaTac is leading by just 19 votes. It’s lost a bit of ground since Tuesday’s lead of 43 votes. But, win or lose, it could set a different standard for the debate around the minimum wage.

Read the full story

The votes keep trickling in. But, as of close of business today in Seattle, the initiative to raise the minimum wage to $15-an-hour in SeaTac is hanging on. And it looks better today.

Read the full story

Uh, yeah, every vote does matter. Especially when it comes to making sure people don’t live in poverty. Mark one up for a move to a serious minimum wage!

Read the full story

The lowering of expectations. The willingness to let people wallow in poverty and be bankrupted by big corporations because of the lack of courage in political leaders. That is what I would argue is the conclusion from the president’s minimum wage rhetoric, which is pretty much health care all over again.

Read the full story

Fabulous to see my old comrade from back in the first David Dinkins campaign become the next mayor of NYC. I think he’ll do very cool things. But, I’m even more thrilled to see a significant victory out West — a serious hike in the minimum wage. Can you say $15 an hour?

Read the full story

You don’t have to remember much about the minimum wage debate. Except for this.

Read the full story

Everyone probably has heard about the street protests against minimum wage poverty. Here’s some bad ass action.

Read the full story

Ah, The corporate bag of rhetorical nonsense. The gift that keeps giving. As in, we get to starve people by impoverishing them when they work for us because actually we’re such good people — we give jobs to teenagers. You’ve probably heard of that argument by the fast-food industry…hey, you may have gotten that loud of bullshit yourself when you had one of those jobs. But, it is bullshit.

Read the full story

For a very long time, I’ve pointed out the moral outrage of the so-called “minimum wage”, so-called because it is really a poverty wage, not a minimum wage. Minimum wage gives the impression that it is the minimum a person can live on. But, you can’t live on that wage. That’s where a hike in the poverty wage is welcome, even if it is still not enough.

Read the full story