Effort To Raise Renton's Minimum Wage Gets Underway

RENTON, WA — Organizers have launched an effort to put a measure on the ballot in November, aiming to increase the city's minimum wage to match neighboring cities like Tukwila and Seatac.

Early supporters of the "Raise the Wage Renton" initiative include Renton City Councilmember Carmen Rivera and state Sen. Bob Hasegawa. The campaign, which kicked off last week with an event at the Renton Public Library, builds on the success of the Transit Riders Union's initiative in Tukwila that more than 82 percent of voters overwhelmingly approved in November.

Washington's statewide minimum wage changes with the consumer price index and this year rose to $15.74. Cities have the authority to set higher standards, and Seatac on Jan. 1 became the city with the highest minimum wage in the nation, followed by Seattle.

"The statewide minimum wage is not sufficient to afford rising rents and costs of living in Renton," the measure reads in part. "Nearby King County cities of SeaTac, Seattle, and Tukwila enacted higher minimum wages in 2013, 2014, and 2022 respectively, but until now Renton has not followed suit."

The Renton measure closely mirrors Tukwila's and would require large employers to pay the same minimum wage rate established there, starting in July 2024. Should the initiative make the ballot and pass, Renton's minimum wage would likely surpass $19 next summer. For each following year, the city would calculate further increases based on the annual rate of inflation.

Getting the initiative on the ballot requires volunteers to gather enough signatures by the deadline — an effort that will get underway soon.

>> Learn more about Raise the Wage Renton campaign here.