Nearly $16 Million Remedies Assessed to Almost 10,000 Workers
For Immediate Release
Contact Information
Cynthia Santana
Phone: 206-256-5219
Email: cynthia.santana@seattle.gov
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City of Seattle Announces Tenth Anniversary of Seattle’s Minimum Wage and Wage Theft Ordinances
Nearly $16 Million Remedies Assessed to Almost 10,000 Workers
Seattle, WA (April 1, 2025)- Today, the City of Seattle celebrated the tenth anniversaries of the Minimum Wage and Wage Theft Ordinances, which went into effect on April 1, 2015. Since adoption of both ordinances, the Office of Labor Standards (OLS) has recovered $15.8 million in combined remedies for 9,749 workers in Seattle.
In June 2014, the Seattle City Council unanimously passed the Seattle Minimum Wage Ordinance, making Seattle the first major city in the United States to enact a $15 minimum wage, following the “Fight for 15” movement. Click here to learn more about the campaign history and the SeaTac/Seattle Minimum Wage Project.
Seattle’s minimum wage gradually increased from just over $9 per hour in 2014 to $15 an hour in 2021 depending on size of businesses and employee benefits. The Minimum Wage Ordinance sets the minimum wage for employees working within city limits and increases every year on January 1. The current minimum wage for all employers is $20.76.
“As a Councilmember, I was honored to be part of the task force that helped deliver the transformative $15 minimum wage proposal, creating a more just, equitable economy and serving as a model for other cities to follow,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “In the last decade, Seattle has continued to be a national leader in advancing policies that protect the rights of workers in our city, including passing the first-ever Domestic Workers Bill of Rights and becoming the first city in the nation to ensure paid sick and safe time for app-based workers. As we celebrate this milestone, we will continue our work with the Office of Labor Standards and labor partners to cultivate a strong economic environment where all workers are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
Since implementation of the Minimum Wage Ordinance OLS has:
- 204 investigations resolved
- 206 investigations filed
- 993 worker inquiries
- $4.6 million remedies assessed to 3,832 impacted workers
When Seattle’s Wage Theft Ordinance took effect, it required, for the first time, employers pay all wages and tips owed to employees within Seattle city limits. The new ordinance coincided with OLS becoming a separate division within the Office for Civil Rights in 2015 and being given authorization to investigate workers’ complaints of wage theft – specifically, failure of an employer to pay all wages and tips owed by law.
Ten years of Wage Theft Ordinance protections has resulted in:
- 320 investigations
- 325 filed investigations
- 2,610 worker inquiries
- $11.2 million remedies assessed to 5,917 impacted workers
“The past decade has highlighted the profound impact of the Minimum Wage and Wage Theft Ordinances on the City’s economy and workers. OLS staff are honored to be part of this trailblazing work through our enforcement, outreach and education,” said OLS Director Steven Marchese. “Department staff have recovered millions of dollars in remedies, including back wages, owed to workers in Seattle. This money has enabled workers to improve their lives and support their loved ones. Through our Community Outreach and Education Fund (COEF) partners, we have reached thousands of workers ensuring they understand their rights in the workplace and know where to turn if those rights are violated – regardless of immigration status. OLS also empowers businesses with training and support from our Business Outreach and Education Fund (BOEF) partners to ensure employers understand their obligations under the city’s laws. We believe true workplace equity can only be possible when businesses respect workers’ rights and have the tools to comply with Seattle’s labor standards.”
“Ten years ago, workers in SeaTac and Seattle flipped the corporate script and asserted a basic, common-sense truth: we all deserve a living wage, and when workers make more money, everyone makes more money. When workers won the Fight for $15 and established the strongest Minimum Wage and Wage Theft Ordinances in the country, that vision for a more inclusive economy is exactly what played out—but robust enforcement of our labor laws demonstrates how much more there is to do. Bad employers undercut high-road employers, and workers continue to fight against violations or rollbacks of existing labor standards. Effective, community-based education and enforcement of workers’ rights through the Office of Labor Standards and the Community Outreach and Education Fund ensures that our wins ten years ago continue to be wins today, putting money back in workers’ pockets and building the path toward a fair economy for working people across the nation,” said Executive Director of Fair Work Center Danielle Alvarado.
- For more information on the history of the Minimum Wage Ordinance please visit the OLS webpage here. For general information and resources on the ordinance please click here.
- For more information on the history of the Wage Theft Ordinance please visit the OLS webpage here. For general information and resources on the ordinance please click here.
Please visit the OLS data interactive dashboards for more information on resolved investigations, worker inquiries, financial remedies and more.
- Help for workers and the public: To ask a question, file a complaint, or provide information, call 206-256-5297, email workers.laborstandards@seattle.gov or click here to fill out a web form.
- Help for employers: For free and private compliance assistance with any Seattle labor standard, or to schedule a training, call 206-256-5297, email business.laborstandards@seattle.gov or click here to fill out a web form.
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