More than 200 people showed up last night at the Olympia City Council meeting; most were interested in a potential city minimum wage and a new "Worker's Bill of Rights." The council allocated one hour for public comment.
Workers advocate for wage increases and improved conditions, while business owners express concerns about the economic impact. (See two related stories.)
Several workers shared their stories of struggling to make ends meet on current wages, while local business owners expressed their concerns about wage increases that could lead to closures.
According to Safeway meat cutter Charlotte Crawford, many workers need to work multiple jobs to afford rent, food, and medical bills.
"We're unable to tend to our parents, look after our children, or spend time with our loved ones because we clock out of work and open up the Instacart app to shop for others, Crawford said. "Even with these sacrifices, we're often teetering on homelessness, one paycheck away from eviction. We deserve better."
Speaking in support of a minimum wage and a new Worker's Bill of Rights, Alice Rosewater, a library worker and a musician, believed that the proposed legislation would not cause a wave of small businesses to close, but could only enrich the city's cultural and artistic heritage, stating, "Culture is not a building or a street. It's what people do in those places. It is a people freed, even if only temporarily, from the toil of daily subsistence. A minimum wage increase and the stability provided by regular scheduling will be a boon for Olympia's art scene."
Community member Danielle likes supporting small businesses in Olympia but states that "when struggling to pay bills and put food on the table, supporting those places becomes impossible."
She added, "Supporting our workers is supporting our businesses, and a business that doesn't care about its workers doesn't care about its customers because we are one and the same. We work hard for scraps every single day, and we're tired of accepting below the bare minimum to survive."
Danielle urged the city council to take action on the proposed legislation, saying that every month without progress adds to workers' uncertainty, making it hard to plan for the future or afford basic needs.
Bar owner Nicole Andres supports higher wages for non-tipped employees. She pointed out that tipped workers already earn higher hourly wages.
Andres expressed concern that a significant minimum wage increase would force her to close her business. She said the pandemic once shut down her bar and is facing the possibility of closing again.
"I don't know a bar owner in Olympia who could survive if the minimum wage reaches $20 or $24 an hour," Andres said.
A local business owner, Andy, echoed Andres’ sentiments, saying that his fellow bar and restaurant owners would be forced to shut their doors if the minimum wage is increased, as they would not be able to handle such a significant pay raise for all their employees.
Shawna Charbonneau, a small business owner, voiced her worries about the financial impact, saying. She fears that businesses may relocate to nearby cities, decreasing revenue, which is already in deficit for the 2025 budget. If a wage increase goes through, she would be forced to increase her prices to compensate for the increase in wages and payroll taxes.
"With this, I will lose clients as the price will not be in their budgets anymore," Charbonneau exclaimed. "My payroll taxes, income tax, and state taxes will all go up with the increase in hourly wages and increase our sales to cover the increase of hourly wages… people from Seattle are moving here because the cost of living and homes are cheaper."
"Unemployment will increase in Olympia because businesses struggle to survive."
Michael Whalen, an United Food and Commercial Workers Local 367 organizer, spoke at the city council meeting to clarify the misinformation causing stress to community members.
He said there has been no call to raise the minimum wage to $24 an hour by Jan. 1. "That is false…not something that is being pushed. Our goal is not to kill small businesses."
Whalen emphasized the need for a collaborative approach, stating, "We really want to open up the discussion and how we work together to bring about something not necessarily imposing something on a community."
Whalen acknowledged workers' concerns regarding "safety issues and scheduling issues," saying that "the Workers Bill of Rights is much more than just the minimum wage, but it's a workers package that will create scheduling protections and safety protections for workers."
At the opening of the city council meeting, Mayor Dontae Payne addressed the community regarding the minimum wage and worker's rights issues. He stressed that no decisions have been made yet and explained that the Finance Committee is in the early stages of developing a thorough community engagement strategy that would start in 2025.
Payne emphasized this process will involve "extensive research, data analysis, and robust engagement with a diverse range of stakeholders - residents, employees and employers alike." The full City Council will discuss a draft of the community engagement plan, including a timeline, during a study session on Oct. 22.
Payne emphasized the importance of considering all perspectives and the need for thoughtful and inclusive approaches to issues affecting workers and small businesses. He also noted that the city is exploring a broader "Worker's Bill of Rights" to address topics like fair scheduling and workplace safety while stressing that no specific proposals have been developed yet.
Acknowledging the community's confusion, he apologized for any stress caused by expectations of an ordinance increasing the minimum wage by the end of the year, clarifying, "We will not be doing that."
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here