Friday, October 2, 2026
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The Olympia City Council reviewed the Workers' Bill of Rights initiative, a proposal that would establish a $20 minimum wage and new workplace protections.
The council will decide on July 22 to either adopt the proposal or put it before voters in November.
At a study session on Thursday, July 17, Assistant City Manager Stacey Ray presented the details of the initiative, which would impact businesses of various sizes in Olympia.
The initiative covers businesses with more than 15 employees, with different wage implementation schedules for small, medium and large businesses.
The wage portion of the proposal breaks down as follows: There would be a minimum $20 hourly wage for large employers, as well as phased wage increases for medium and small businesses.
The proposal defined large employers as businesses with more than 500 workers, while medium-sized employers have 16 to 500 employees, and small employers are at 15 or fewer employees.
Ray, referring to the initiative's language, addressed complex business ownership scenarios. Under the proposed initiative, "separate entities will be considered a single employer if they form an integrated enterprise or are under joint control by one of those entities or a separate entity."
Factors determining this classification include shared management structures, centralized labor relations control, and common ownership or financial control.
The initiative also introduces fair scheduling requirements. For all employers, workers can identify schedule limitations, request specific shift times and locations, and have their preferences considered.
However, the most detailed scheduling requirements apply only to businesses with more than 500 employees.
Large employers would be required to:
Council members sought clarity on the initiative's scheduling provisions, particularly how they would apply to businesses of different sizes.
Council member Robert Vanderpool suggested future presentations include business examples illustrating the different requirements for small, medium and large employers, in order to better understand the initiative's varying workplace regulations based on business size.
The Workers' Bill of Rights initiative requires large employers to develop comprehensive workplace safety plans, collaborating directly with employees to create strategies that protect workers and consumers during potential emergencies, including incidents of violence or natural disasters.
While employers maintain discretion over specific plan details, they must meet the minimum safety standards outlined in the initiative:
Mayor Dontae Payne sought clarification on whether the initiative's proposed workplace safety standards were created due to gaps in existing state regulations.
He requested information about current state of Washington requirements for employee safety, particularly in isolated or dangerous work environments.
Council members sought clarity on the initiative's enforcement provisions, which offer two potential pathways:
Council member Clark Gilman noted employers are seeking clarity on these two potential enforcement pathways.
"Sections A and B are two options that either the city is authorized to implement, enforce the chapter, or that any person or class of persons in Section B might bring a civil action in a court. Employers are asking, 'Is it going to be one or the other?' He said it was not clearly defined.
Payne expressed concern about potential contradictions in the enforcement language. He questioned whether the city could be obligated to take action.
Ray explained that Section A allows the city to create regulations and enforce the chapter, while Section B provides a pathway for individual workers to pursue legal action against employers for violations.
She also noted the initiative includes a requirement for the city to adopt rules and procedures within 120 days of the ordinance's effective date.
The petition, initiated by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 367, gathered 13,764 signatures. The Thurston County Auditor certified 5,796 signatures as valid, surpassing the 5,788 required to move forward.
The city council will take action on July 22 with two options on the table: either adopt the Workers' Bill of Rights initiative as written without changes or place it on the November ballot and let voters decide its fate.
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TheVirtualOne
While there are some positive aspects about this, such as safety requirements, there are some overreaching items that will cause too many economic problems and damage the business environment negatively. Business owners are already struggling to make ends meet after the financial impacts of COVID lockdowns and new taxes passed recently by the legislature. Drive around town and you will see many empty commercial buildings. This is evidence of the difficult times in Olympia’s business community. The city government needs to back off and let business owners recover and become profitable again before implementing such measures. The headline just below this article describes the difficulties facing businesses in Thurston County and a poor outlook. Over regulation will only make things worse and force businesses to move away.
Friday, July 18, 2025 Report this
Claire
What the Olympia Shitty Council should really consider is a business owners bill of rghts. The way they're going, there soon won't be any small m businesses left in the city.
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Friday, July 18, 2025 Report this
JulesJames
A decade ago it was $15 an hour. Now its $20 an hour. Doesn't take a PhD economist to comprehend what happens when minimum wage becomes a political horse to ride.
Friday, July 18, 2025 Report this
Southsoundguy
More rights = more government. This will cause more problems than it solves.
Saturday, July 19, 2025 Report this
HappyOlympian
At least let voters decide in november, although this is an off-year election. $20 an hour a horrible idea if adjacent areas are not required to do the same.
Saturday, July 19, 2025 Report this
CobraCommander
Imagine being SouthSoundGuy and complaining that people have too many rights
This is America, Jack
Productivity has steadily increased over the past 40 years, but wages have stagnated. Workers fought and died for a 40-hour work week and basic protections (such as banning child labor), but I guess that's 'too much regulation' for the disgusting MAGA folks out there
Saturday, July 19, 2025 Report this
OlyGuy
I definitely won't be visiting any Olympia businesses if this passes. Prices downtown are already inflated and this will only force businesses to charge even more. The food isn't that good downtown to begin with. Not paying $30 for a subpar burger and fries. I will go do my eating and shopping in another town.
Saturday, July 19, 2025 Report this
JW
Whatever it is, we can guarantee the city council clowns will be on the wrong side of it. It's almost as if the city council's goal is to drive the city off a cliff.
Saturday, July 19, 2025 Report this
TheVirtualOne
OlyGuy hit the nail on the head! This is what’s happening in the local economy. It has become so expensive to buy a regular meal at a restaurant that people are choosing to buy elsewhere or just not go out. I am a member of that group and know of many other people who are in the same boat. The city council is out of touch with its constituents and more interested in promoting their own agenda. It’s unfortunate. When looking at the current primary ballot and those who are running for open council seats, their are only more of the same mentality running for office. Things will never change unless some competent people who are in touch with reality step up and are supported by the community for city council offices.
Saturday, July 19, 2025 Report this
Boatyarddog
CobraCommanders has got it right. Have people forgotten the right to be able to ja e a ROOF over your head. Please CONSERVATIVES Move to another town WE RRFORMISTS will enjoy Olympia much more, and safely without your incessant Hate speech, and Threatening retoric. BYE!!!!
Saturday, July 19, 2025 Report this
Me_In_Oly
This bill will be extremely detrimental to existing businesses, City of Olympia revenue, and, as businesses close their doors, to the very workers this initiative aims to help.
Further, I am confident that the sheer complexity of this initiative will dissuade future business owners from opening businesses in Olympia.
Let the voters decide on this.
Monday, July 21, 2025 Report this
PissAnt
I'm wondering if Cooperatively run businesses are immune from these stringent rules. It seems a play to increase the amount of Co-ops that are in the city by punishing the traditional style of small business. Also it is very clear that this will decrease business. If you want to reduce something TAX it and this is certainly akin to a punitive tax for doing business.
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Report this
PissAnt
I guess the movement to remove Parking downtown will make more sense when more businesses close from this ordinance. When less customers come down because the cost of things are higher in Olympia than Lacey and Tumwater there will be a surplus of parking places. You won't need to worry about finding a parking spot down there. Its seems that if you want to build a business and grow it Lacey and Tumwater are the no brainer locations to do so.
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Report this
PissAnt
I may vote for this out of spite for Olympia and their Religious Progressive ideology because this seems harmful to the city. And it seems that the best way to convince a Progressive is to give them what they want.
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Report this