Tacoma City Council to consider ‘Worker's Bill of Rights'
Tacoma's City Council will hold a special meeting Friday morning to decide whether to adopt or send to voters a proposed 'Worker's Bill of Rights.'
Known as Measure 2, the initiative would raise the city's minimum wage to $20 per hour and expand protections for workers. Supporters said the measure is necessary to address the rising cost of living and improve workplace conditions.
'Some people think that by raising the minimum wage, then the cost of everything is going to go up, but the truth of the matter is, we're chasing the cost of living,' UFCW 367 President Michael Hines told The Tacoma News Tribune. 'We're not ahead of it. We haven't been ahead of it in a long time.'
Tacoma businesses voice concerns
At a recent council meeting, members of the local business community voiced concerns about the proposal. Andrea Reay, CEO of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, warned that some businesses may not survive if the measure is enacted.
'We're in a fragile moment,' Reay said.
If the council does not approve Measure 2, it will be placed on a future ballot. The timing of that vote has not yet been determined.
The meeting is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Friday at Tacoma City Hall.
Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.
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