Business Briefs: State minimum wage rises in January

Boeing workers’ donations support local nonprofits

Two Snohomish County nonprofits will receive a total of $780,000 from the Boeing Employees Community Fund, a charitable pool fully funded and managed by Boeing workers.

ChildStrive, which provides programs for children and families, received a grant of nearly $280,000 to replace the roof for The Village on Casino Road in Everett. The Village houses more than 20 organizations, including a preschool and a co-op childcare that supports adult education classes.

Evergreen Recovery Centers, which provides inpatient detox services, received a $500,000 grant to help construct a larger residential treatment facility in Everett for low-income pregnant and parenting women. The program serves young families on Medicaid with children in local foster care homes and family reunification plans.

Grants are made twice a year. Recipients include health and human service providers and nonprofits such as food banks, job training programs, shelters, transitional housing, mental health services and low-income medical clinics.

The Community Fund takes requests from nonprofits. An eight member panel, made up of employees, decides how to divvy up the money.

The national chapter of the Boeing Employees Community Fund was founded in 1948. Two years later, the Puget Sound chapter launched. Since it’s founding, the Employees Community Fund of Boeing Puget Sound has donated more than $630 million to groups in Washington.

The company pays the fund’s administration costs and each employee dollar goes into the fund.

Fundraiser for businesses impacted by Bolt Creek wildfire

Economic Alliance Snohomish County will host a fundraiser to benefit businesses impacted by the Bolt Creek fire

The event will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, at the Angel of the Winds Arena Lounge, 2000 Hewitt Ave., Everett.

The nearly 15,000-acre Bolt Creek wildfire raged near U.S. 2 starting Sept. 10. It blanketed the region in smoke, forced evacuations, and closed outdoor areas. And the highway has been repeatedly shut down to clear fallen debris preventing travel into the Sky Valley area.

“This has had a significant impact on local businesses, as people cannot or choose not to travel our highway to recreate or visit local stores and restaurants. We are so grateful for the support from Economic Alliance and the local community,” said Debbie Copple, director of Sky Valley Chamber of Commerce.Copple said.

“All money raised at this fundraiser will be disbursed directly to the businesses that have been directly impacted by the fire,” Copple said.

General admission tickets are $65; $50 for Economic Alliance members.

The benefit is open to all ages and will have a cash bar for those aged 21 and over. Tickets are on sale now through Nov. 9.

“We invite everyone to join us for this wonderful event, which will benefit an important and much-needed initiative to assist local businesses who have been so adversely affected by the wildfires,” said Garry Clark, CEO of Economic Alliance. “For those who are unable to attend, please consider donating to help keep our local economy vibrant.”

To purchase tickets go to bit.ly/3SBCLdY

For more information about sponsoring this event or donating to businesses impacted by the Bolt Creek Fire, contact BrianD@EconomicAllianceSC.org.

State minimum wage rises in January

Washington’s minimum wage will rise to $15.74 an hour in January, up $1.25 from the current rate of $14.49.

The 8.66% increase is directly linked to the cost of housing, food, and medical care as reflected in the Consumer Price Index.

In 2013, the state minimum wage stood at $9.19 an hour.

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries calculates the minimum wage for the coming year based on the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers.

In making the calculation, the labor department compares the consumer price index from August of the previous year to the index for August of the current year.

The state minimum wage applies to workers age 16 and older. Employers can pay 85 percent of the minimum wage to workers ages 14-15.

For 2023, the wage for that younger group will be $13.38 per hour.

Cities can set minimum wages higher than the state. Seattle and SeaTac both have higher wages. Seattle’s minimum wage will be $18.69 in January; SeaTac’s is even higher, at $19.06. Those two cities, plus a handful of cities in the Silicon Valley area of California have the highest minimums in the United States.

The federal minimum wage has been unchanged since 2009 at $7.25 an hour.

Georgia and Wyoming are the only states that have a minimum wage less than the federal rate of $7.25. However federal law mandates that the higher federal rate be paid.

Janice Podsada: 425-339-3097; jpodsada@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @JanicePods.