labor lawAdivision of labor law center

The Washington state minimum wage will increase to $8.55 per hour on January 1, 2009. The state Department of Labor and Industries or L& I recalculates the minimum wage each year in September as required by state Initiative 688, approved by Washington voters in 1998.

The Washington state minimum wage is adjusted each year based on the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers or CPI-W during the 12 months ending on August 31. The Consumer Price Index is a national measure of the cost of goods and services required for daily life. During the 12-month period ending in August 2008, the CPI increased a whopping 5.9%. For comparison, the increase in the prior year was 1.8%, which led to an increase of 14 cents per hour in the Washington minimum wage.

This 48-cent increase ensures that the Washington minimum wage (more…)

California employers should be aware of a special enforcement action targeting carwashes and other illegal operations in “the underground economy.” During a three-day August enforcement sweep, investigators visited 97 carwashes in Northern California. Fifty-four of them were issued citations resulting in fines totaling more than $521,000.

Thirty of the car wash businesses were shut down until they comply with labor laws, including: (more…)