Endorsements

Want to endorse the Raise the Wage Renton campaign as an organization, community member, or local business or elected? Endorse the campaign here.

Words from Renton Residents

  • Income inequality has been killing the American Dream. A full-time worker should be able to afford housing, food, transportation, education, and health care.

    - Gary, Renton Resident

  • I support raising the minimum wage because everyone deserves to make a living.

    - Victoria, Renton Resident

  • I am a mom who wants to keep her child in a wonderful supportive school district. I work two jobs and still struggle financially.

    - Ausha, Renton Resident & Worker

  • We should be matching the rates of neighboring cities so that people will want to work here.

    - Kay, Renton Resident

  • This is good for our community. I don't mind paying a little more for services if I know that the workers are being paid more. People need a chance to thrive.

    - Tarron, Renton Resident

  • I believe that raising the minimum wage in Renton would have a broadly positive impact across the entire community, especially as the cost of living crisis continues and Western Washington becomes more and more expensive to live in. Taking care of each other is simply the right thing to do!

    - Emily, Renton Resident

  • I love living in Renton but our minimum wage makes it hard for community members to live in our community. Chronic stress is one of the worst things for our overall health and one of the largest contributors to stress is money.

    - Tianna, Renton Resident

  • Housing costs are continuing to rise. We need to do everything we can do so minimum wage workers can have as much economic security as possible while living in Renton. Everybody deserves a living wage, and that includes my neighbors who make coffee or mop floors.

    - Derek, Renton Resident

  • When people can afford to live where they reside, with dignity, free from worry about making rent, feeding their kids, or long, dangerous commutes -- that's where people can thrive.

    - David Peters, Renton Resident

  • Most major corporations are only making more and more money with each passing quarter, unaffected if not bolstered by [COVID-19] and inflation. It's time workers get a slice of the constant growth.

    - Parker, Renton Resident

  • I support raising the minimum wage because I am a nurse in Seattle but have friends and patients in Renton who can barely afford to live in the communities where they work.

    - Sean, Seattle Resident

  • I'm a junior in high school and as I delve into the job market, I believe that raising Renton's minimum wage is extremely important.

    - Jay, Renton Resident, Student & Worker

  • I have firsthand experience with the struggles that come with low wages and financial insecurity. I would be proud to live in a city where my neighbors don’t have to experience the difficulties that I and so many others have faced.

    - Bryonna, Renton Resident

  • You have people who work in other cities that make a good wage. You then come home to your neighborhood and you see countless people being asked to work for poverty wages. It’s sad, it’s inhumane.

    - Mike, Renton Resident

  • With the rising costs of everything especially food and gas medicine and things to live healthy raising the wages will help a lot but still not as much as needed. I think $25 and up would help people be more self reliant and price gouging should stop. It should be law that prices should not increase just because the peoples wages increase. It would be an injustice to the people.

    -John, Renton Resident

  • I believe that anyone working a full-time job should earn enough to live decently and with dignity. Time was, a whole family could live on the earnings of a single bread-winner. We've lost that, and we've lost it because of the persistent business pressure to keep wages low in order to maximize profit. I strongly support raising the minimum wage in Renton to bring it closer to a truly living wage. A rising tide lifts all boats, and reducing poverty makes life better for all of us.

    -Ian, Renton Resident

  • I moved 2,000 miles from a major city (Chicago) to a small city (Renton) because I fell in love with the energy of this town. I knew before even moving here that financially speaking I would not be able to work here. I regularly commute to Seattle and other towns (w/n a 30 mile radius) that pay higher, just to live here.

    - Melissa, Renton Resident

Elected Officials

US Congressman Adam Smith

11th LD WA State Senator
Bob Hasegawa

11th Legislative District State Rep.
David Hackney

11th Legislative District State Rep.
Steve Bergquist

King County Councilmember
Girmay Zahilay

Renton City Councilmember
Carmen Rivera

Renton City Councilmember
Kim-Khánh Văn

Renton City Councilmember
Ryan McIrvin

Tukwila City Councilmember
Kate Kruller

Local Businesses

Wyldwood Creative Fabric Store

SipStop Café & Community Market

The Brewmaster’s Taproom

Let it Ride Casinos LLC

Casa Durango Family Mexican Restaurant

The Rose Gift House & Coffee

Labor Unions

MLK Labor Council

Renton Education Assoc.

IAM&AW District Lodge 751

IAM&AW District Lodge 751
Boeing Workers Union

UFCW 3000

AFSCME/WFSE Local 304

UAW 4121

Rainier UniServ Council

Highline Education Assoc.

PROTEC 17

The Labor for Black Lives Logo of a Black fist grasping a hammer with the text "Rank And File" Below it.

Labor for Black Lives

AFSCME/WFSE Local 3488

Teamsters Joint Council

Starbucks Workers United

UNITE HERE Local 8

Organizations

King County Democrats

11th LD Democrats

11th Legislative District Democrats

FUSE Washington

Transit Riders Union

Working Families Party

Washington Community Alliance

South King County DSA

The Urbanist

House our Neighbors!

Washington BUS

Progressive Victory

Progressive Victory

Community Leaders

Policy Lead - Poverty Action WA:
Shaun Scott

“Workers make everything move. Let’s raise the minimum wage in Renton and build cities where all can live and thrive.”

President - Renton Education Association / Formerly: 21 years Teaching in Renton:
Julianna Dauble

“We need a higher minimum wage to help reduce poverty, increase school attendance and promote a healthier community.”

Small Business Owner:
Tawnee Kinnebrew

"As a small business owner I believe it is important to invest in the people working for me by paying them a living wage. I fully support raising the minimum wage in Renton, investing in our people makes our community stronger."

Renton Community Leader & Resident
Neil Sheesley

"I am former President of the South Renton Neighborhood Association, President of the North Renton Neighborhood Association, and previously on the Renton Municipal Arts Commission. I lost my career and retirement in the great recession. I had to start over at 51. I made $16/hr. The only way I could make it in Renton on that wage is to rent a room in a house. That was 2012. Renton home prices are a lot higher now."

List of Local Community Leaders

Reverend Dr. Linda Smith | Renton-King County Alliance for Justice*, Renton African American Pastors (RAAP) Group
Mr. John Houston | Renton Resident, Owner of Integrated Testing & Solutions LLC
Charles B. Schmidt | 23+ Year Renton Resident, Homeowner, Small Business Owner, Community Volunteer
Dan Clawson | President of the Renton Historical Society*, Former Renton City Councilmember
Jasmine Ines | Chair of the 11th Legislative District Democrats
Gabriel Jones | Member of the City of Renton Equity Commission*
Mónica Mendoza-Castrejón | Community Organizer, Law Student
Nikkita Oliver | Organizer, Attorney, Educator & Writer
Cory Thompson | Let it Ride Casinos LLC

(*) Title is for identification purposes only; endorsement was received in a personal capacity.

Endorsements

Want to endorse the Raise the Wage Renton campaign as an organization, community member, or local business or elected? Endorse the campaign here.