Corporate Interests are trying to buy your vote in the upcoming February 13th Election.

It's crucially important for Renton voters to know about the massive misinformation campaign going underway in the City of Renton, funded by large fast-food businesses and national retailers. The question we need to answer is:

Where’s the money coming from?

Collage image of known affiliations with Board appointed positions in Washington Hospitality & Retail Associations

“No on 23-02” is corporate-funded

On December 11th, 2023, the “No on 23-02” Political Action Committee (PAC) registered with the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC). Funders include the Washington Hospitality Association and Washington Retail Association.

The Washington Hospitality Association is a trade group that represents business owners in from McDonalds, the National Restaurant Association and other large entities. The Washington Retail Association represents large national retailers like Macy’s, Walmart, The Home Depot and other big businesses.

Lobbyists from Olympia have fundraised nearly $100,000 in opposition to paying working families.

These groups operate by deploying Government Affairs Managers from Olympia to local jurisdictions like Renton and influence policy at the local level that protects the profits of large corporations.

The WRA is dedicated to “advancing the unique interests of retailers on legislative and regulatory issues” and “responding to the shared needs of retailers to improve their bottom line” according to their website.

What they won’t tell you is that this initiative supports small businesses as they are exempt and will see revenues increase.

Screenshot of Washington Hospitality Association Industry Webcast on Apple

Corporate PAC CEO brags about interfering in minimum wage efforts across Washington

Take a listen to this Podcast published by the Washington Hospitality Association Industry Webcast on December 6th, titled "The CEO Podcast, Local Government Affairs", where their Statewide Government Affairs Team discuss in great detail;

  • celebrating lobby efforts in Burien by convincing Councilmembers to vote against a Burien minimum wage increase and "maintaining a moderate majority which is good for us moving forward”.

  • urging members to find information on implementation in Bellingham where they say "unfortunately, the minimum wage did pass".

  • boasting about the Seattle City Council election results, touting their success in electing business-friendly candidates as “the culmination of a multi-year effort... strong investment into elections in Seattle eight years ago and slowly built over time to get this result"

  • convincing King County Council push back their minimum wage ordinance to 2025 at a November 11th committee meeting

“No on 23-02” will be bankrolled by large corporations, spread misinformation through local ads & send mass mailers.

Residents deserve to know the truth about this corporate-funded effort.

During a Renton City Council Meeting in December, the Washington Hospitality Association recommended Council introduce an ordinance repealing this worker-led initiative once it passes.

We know that this ballot measure won’t magically create perfect conditions for workers to stay housed or provide access to health care. It also won’t create more government bureaucracy to enforce the higher wage.

But it will give workers a better chance to survive in this economy.

Here’s the bottom line: workers struggle to live month-to-month. Passing this measure is a step towards basic fairness for minimum wage workers and our community.

State legislators and Renton City Councilmembers in support are clear on one thing: workers deserve the right to live in Renton.

Those against higher wages also make clear: keep the working poor vulnerable, forget that essential workers kept our economy running during the COVID pandemic, and disregard the fact that low-income communities in Renton continue to struggle because of stagnant wages, inflation, and rising housing and food costs.

Renton residents should have the most say in deciding to raise the minimum wage. Don’t let outside corporate interests dictate the future of our Renton economy.

This ballot measure to bring the wage to $20/hour for large employers will allow Renton to keep up with neighboring cities in King County. Small-business owners, elected officials, and local labor unions strongly support this ballot measure. Read our list of endorsements on our endorsements page.

Follow our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and, if you’re a Renton resident, remember to turn in your ballot by February 13th, 2024!