Sea-Tac airport workers to get $15 minimum wage, court rules

In 2013, the Washington city of SeaTac became the first in America to approve a $15 minimum wage. But the question of whether the pay increase would apply to thousands of workers at Sea-Tac airport quickly got hung up in the courts. Now, those workers will get their raise—the Washington State Supreme Court has said that the minimum wage does apply to the airport, reversing a lower court decision in favor of the low-wage employers fighting to avoid paying a living wage.

The low wages at the airport are felt in the city of SeaTac:

“Now, possibly, our food pantry lines will go down,” said the Rev. Jan Bolerjack, minister at the Riverton United Methodist Church.

Airport workers have made up a big proportion of those using the food pantry.  “Some workers have come right off shift to get food for their families,” said Bolerjack.  “A living wage is the only fair thing, the only just thing, for workers working a full shift.”

Washington state, by the way, has one of the higher state minimum wages, at $9.47 an hour. It's still not enough for workers to live on.