SEATTLE - Days after voters in another Washington city approved a substantial minimum wage increase, the Washington Restaurant Association is now pushing for a statewide minimum wage increase.
The hospitality association says a statewide hike in the minimum wage is a better approach than a checkerboard of local wage laws.
Voters in Tacoma decided this week to raise the city's minimum wage to $12. The Seattle City Council decided to move toward a $15 minimum wage in 2014, following the city of SeaTac. The state minimum wage is $9.47.
While the Washington Restaurant Association has opposed city wage increases, it announced Thursday it would support a statewide exploration of the idea of a higher minimum wage.
The group's president and CEO, Anthony Anton, says he has support from political leaders for a new statewide discussion on this issue.
