So Far, SeaTac Voters Say Yes To $15 Minimum Wage

The votes haven’t all been counted, but it appears the City of SeaTac could be on its way to imposing a $15 minimum wage for workers whose jobs are tied to the airport.

Yes on SeaTac Proposition 1 was leading 54 to 46 percent on Tuesday evening. Because Washington state voters submit their ballots by mail, many are still out.

Washington state’s minimum wage is already the highest in the country at $9.19 an hour, but if the lead stands, the City of SeaTac’s hourly minimum will be raised by 63 percent for workers whose jobs are tied to the airport.

Unions were the proposition's biggest backers, with nearly a million dollars in the campaign’s war chest.

Those opposed included Alaska Airlines. Half the flights leaving Sea-Tac International Airport are Alaska flights. Alaska’s decision to outsource services like baggage handling has been a sore spot for the unions.