Judge rules against corporate effort to block minimum wage increase

December 29, 2010, The Seattle Times

A Kittitas County judge Wednesday rejected a request to halt a 12-cent increase to the state’s minimum wage that takes effect this weekend.

Superior Court Judge Scott Sparks ruled against the summary judgment request made by a coalition of business groups that sued the state last month over the decision to raise the minimum wage to $8.67 an hour.

The groups opposed to the increase argue that the minimum wage can’t be increased in 2011 because this year’s Consumer Price Index did not reflect a net increase in the cost of living since 2008. A voter initiative ties the state’s minimum wage to the index.

The coalition opposed to the increase includes the Washington Farm Bureau, the Washington Restaurant Association and the Washington Retail Association.

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