During the June 4 Everett City Council meeting, Councilmember Mary Fosse asked the city attorney to develop an ordinance to raise the minimum wage in Everett for the November ballot. The motion was seconded by Council President Don Schwab. No specifics were discussed, but Fosse referenced the recent Renton minimum wage passed by voters in February.

The Everett Herald ran a story on June 7 that reported a new political action committee Everett Deserves a Raise had been filed by the County Labor Council and Democratic Socialists of America. According to the article, the proposal would raise the Everett minimum wage starting July 1, 2025. The rate for businesses with 500 or more employees would be $20.24 per hour. The rate for employers of 16-499 employees would be $18.24 in 2025, one dollar below the large employer rate in 2026 and match the large employer rate in 2027. The minimum wage would increase with inflation. Businesses with 15 or fewer employees and less than $2 million in gross revenue would be exempt. We do not have any other information at this time.

Your local government affairs team is actively engaged in responding to these recent developments. Please reach out to John Lane, director of local and federal government affairs, for how you can get involved in our efforts at .