City leaders in Tacoma are expected to vote on a proposal to increase minimum wage to $20 per hour before the end of this year.
City leaders in Tacoma are expected to vote on a proposal to increase minimum wage to $20 per hour before the end of this year.
Deputy Mayor Joe Bushnell is currently drafting an ordinance to do so, after months of feedback from small business owners, workers, and other stakeholders, he said.
Currently, minimum wage in Tacoma aligns with Washington state's required rate of $17.13 per hour. Meanwhile, Seattle's minimum wage is $21.13 as of 2026, and in Everett, minimum wage falls between $19.77 and $20.77 depending on the employer's size.
"This is really important to me because many members of our community are struggling and have asked me to look at this as an area to support them," Bushnell said.
While the ordinance is in the early stages, Bushnell believes both a study session and final vote by council are possible before the end of 2026.
He's currently exploring both an immediate increase to $20 per hour starting in 2027 or a gradual increase over the next two to three years.
"I would like to see some sort of phase in over time," Bushnell explained. "But there are many folks who have different ideas of what that could look like."
Meanwhile, the proposed wage hike worries some small business owners about possible, unintentional consequences. Cecile Lahti owns Cafe Bostwick in downtown Tacoma and said she is already paying her employees a starting rate of $20 per hour.
"I can't pay any more than that," Lahti said. "So, if everyone's making $20 an hour, then it's like what's their incentive for working for me as opposed to somebody else."
Another fear raised by Lahti is that a universal wage hike could result in skyrocketing costs for products necessary to run her business.
"If the cost of everything keeps increasing, places like this can't stay open," she said.
Bushnell confirmed he is still welcoming and accepting feedback from any impacted Tacoma residents while the proposal moves forward.
His effort comes roughly one year after several local unions and groups sued the City of Tacoma and Pierce County following their "Workers' Bill of Rights" initiative failing to reach the November ballot in 2025.
UFCW Local 367, a union representing grocery and retail workers, was one of the groups that blamed city and county leaders for intentionally delaying the necessary process, despite the groups garnering thousands of signatures.
Tacoma City Council voted to put the initiative on the November ballot on Aug. 8, 2025, which was three days past the county's deadline.
KOMO News reached out to UFCW Local 367 for comment on the new proposal but did not get a response as of publication.
When asked about the former initiative, Bushnell said he appreciates the important work unions do and confirmed they were part of his engagement process.
"I have been engaging with them throughout this process to make sure they are aware of the work that's going on here and also to provide feedback," he said.
