A Whirlwind Week for the Fight for $15

Inside Sources discusses Seattle’s $15 minimum wage study with Hans Bader.

The Fight for $15 movement went into the July Fourth weekend facing a tsunami of upsets that may very well have altered the minimum wage debate moving forward.

The Fight for $15 movement has been at the forefront of the minimum wage debate since it started in 2012. In just over a week the debate has experienced a battle of contradictory studies, alleged backdoor deals, local battles across the country, and the possibility the movement is losing steam.

Seattle became the first place in the country to pass the $15 minimum wage in June 2014. The University of Washington released a report June 26 which shows the policy might actually be hurting the city. The study setup an eventful week with critics and supporters scrambling to take control of the narrative.

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The University of Washington study and the proceeding week may very well become a turning point for the minimum wage debate. Competitive Enterprise Institute senior attorney Hans Bader notes that at the very least it’s now more difficult for supporters to make their case.

“Given the large amount of publicity it seems to have gotten in swing-state newspapers, that University of Washington study, finding large job losses from the Seattle minimum wage increase, may end up being more than just a blip,” Bader, who has a background in economics and individual rights, said. “It will make it harder going forward for supporters of large minimum wage increases to claim that there are not substantial job losses.”

Read the full article at Inside Sources.