[EDITOR’S NOTEThe following is a Letter to the Editor, written and submitted by a verified Burien resident. It represents the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of South King Media or its staff.]

Burien raised wages fairly – don’t let Seattle activists rewrite the law.

A recent Letter to the Editor supporting Initiative 1 contains several misleading claims. Let’s clear up the facts.

Burien Has the Highest Minimum Wage in the Nation

Burien already has the highest minimum wage in the U.S. As of January 1, 2025, businesses with more than 20 employees must pay $20.16–$21.16 per hour. Yet, supporters of Initiative 1 falsely claim our minimum wage is only $16.66. It literally says this on their website.[1] Why mislead voters?

Tukwila Exempts Small Businesses—Initiative 1 Doesn’t

One of the most bizarre elements of Initiative 1 is that it ties Burien’s wages to Tukwila, but fails to include the small business exemption that Tukwila gives its own businesses.

Tukwila’s own minimum wage law (Tukwila Municipal Code 5.63.050) exempts businesses with fewer than 15 employees from having to pay the full minimum wage. Initiative 1 does not provide this exemption. Instead, it applies the large employer wage to Burien’s smallest businesses—something Tukwila itself doesn’t do.

This is not an oversight—it’s intentional. Initiative 1 states:

“The minimum wage… will be equal to that in the City of Tukwila for large employers… After the phase-in periods, all employers must pay the full minimum wage [2].”

In other words, Initiative 1 forces small, family-run Burien businesses to pay wages that even Tukwila’s smallest businesses don’t have to pay. Why should Burien’s neighborhood coffee shops and immigrant-owned restaurants be treated more harshly than Tukwila’s businesses?

Initiative 1 Actually Lowers Wages for Large Businesses

Even more perplexing, Initiative 1 actually lowers the minimum wage for large businesses, cutting it from $21.16 to $21.10 per hour. Supporters claim this is about “raising wages,” yet their policy punishes small businesses while making an arbitrary change for large businesses.

Who’s Really Behind Initiative 1? Follow the Money

Supporters claim that Burien workers are driving this campaign, but the financial records tell a different story.

According to the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, Raise the Wage has spent $135,941.19 on this campaign[3]—yet only $1,829 came from Burien residents[4]. The vast majority of their funding comes from extreme Seattle-based groups, including the Transit Riders Union, which has no stake in Burien’s small business community.

Meanwhile, the local opposition to Initiative 1 is running on just a few thousand dollars[5], raised from Burien small businesses, local restaurants, and independent shop owners who fear closure or layoffs if this initiative passes.

Seattle’s Restaurant Closures Are a Warning

Seattle has already tested these wage policies, and the results have been devastating. Restaurants like Jackson’s Catfish Corner, Bel Gatto Bakery, Plum Bistro, and Bebop Waffle Shop have all shut their doors.

Small, independent, often immigrant-owned restaurants run on razor-thin margins. Many owners can’t even afford to pay themselves. Initiative 1 backers claim Burien’s record-breaking minimum wage still isn’t enough – even though our community specifically chose to exempt businesses with fewer than 20 employees to protect local jobs.

What’s at Stake?

Initiative 1 doesn’t just raise wages – it locks Burien’s wage policy to Tukwila’s decisions, removes small business exemptions that Tukwila keeps for itself, and lowers wages for some workers while increasing costs on struggling businesses.

Burien’s current minimum wage law was crafted with input from local workers, small businesses, and the city council. It raises wages while protecting small businesses and can be adjusted locally when needed.

Initiative 1 wasn’t designed for Burien – it was written by Seattle activists with no understanding of our community.

Burien’s economy should be shaped by Burien voters, not Tukwila’s policies or Seattle’s activist groups. We urge you to vote NO.

– Eric Papczun
Burien Resident
Vote No For Burien, Chair

Footnotes:

  1. https://www.raisethewageburien.org/ ↩︎
  2. https://www.tukwilawa.gov/departments/finance/minimum-wage-and-fair-access-to-additional-hours-of-work/ ↩︎
  3. https://www.pdc.wa.gov/political-disclosure-reporting-data/browse-search-data/committees/co-2025-35912#overview ↩︎
  4. https://www.pdc.wa.gov/political-disclosure-reporting-data/browse-search-data/committees/co-2025-35912?contributor_city=seattle#contributions ↩︎
  5. https://www.pdc.wa.gov/political-disclosure-reporting-data/browse-search-data/committees/co-2025-37398#overview ↩︎

EDITOR’S NOTEDo you have an opinion you’d like to share with our highly engaged local Readers? If so, please email your Letter to the Editor to scott@southkingmedia.com and, pending review and verification that you’re a real human being, we may publish it. Letter writers must use their full name, as well as provide an address and phone number (NOT for publication but for verification purposes). Read our updated Letter to the Editor policy here.

Since 2007, The B-Town Blog is Burien’s multiple award-winning hyperlocal news/events website dedicated to independent journalism.

Join the Conversation

1 Comment

  1. I own restaurants in Seattle where the minimum wage changed this year to end the credit for tips and benefits. This is what Initiative 1 will do in Burien. The large increase for restaurants has already resulted in many closures. All those workers lost their jobs.

    But it’s important to understand that even when restaurants don’t close, Initiative 1 will result in job losses and lower pay for workers.

    Here’s my Seattle restaurants story. The minimum wage in Seattle increased a lot last year and even more this year when the tip credit also ended. Since last year we have raised prices a little over 15%. As a result our sales are down significantly and we’ve had to cut hours and not give raises to the back of house, who make less than the people getting the raises from a higher minimum wage. That’s because the front of house gets tips – and these tips add up to $20 to $80 per hour in addition to the $20.76 per hour minimum wage. These higher costs have also results in lower tips for the staff. So not workers are losing both hours and tips, which results in a lower income. But the cut in hours and the increase in prices don’t make up for the increase in labor costs. The only thing left for us to cut is benefits, which we haven’t done yet. But as we are losing money last month and most likely this month, we’ll have to look at whatever cuts we can make.

    Drive through downtown Seattle and look at the empty storefronts. More are coming. Let’s not do this to Burien. Vote No on Inititiative 1

Leave a comment
COMMENT POLICY: We love receiving comments about our local news articles, and we want to hear what you respectfully have to say. Please use your real name, be nice, courteous, and stay on topic. No profanity, name-calling/personal attacks or uncivil behavior please.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *