Olympia — The Olympia City Council voted 4–3 on Oct. 7 to adopt a resolution opposing Proposition 1, a citizen initiative that would add a new chapter to the Olympia Municipal Code with minimum-wage tiers, predictive-scheduling requirements and other labor protections. The council opened a public hearing that lasted hours and heard testimony from dozens of residents, business owners and union members before the final vote.

The initiative was described in staff materials as a workers’ bill of rights that would give employees rights to fair scheduling, phased-in minimum wages for small and medium employers, safety planning, and a private right of action. Stacy Ray, assistant city manager, told the council the initiative was certified by Thurston County Elections on July 14, 2025, the City Council referred it to the November ballot by Resolution M2633, and — if approved by voters — it would take effect Jan. 1, 2026.

Supporters argued the measure would raise standards for low-wage workers and reduce precarity. “Stand with workers, reject this anti democratic resolution, vote yes on Prop 1, the worker bill of rights,” said Nicholas Heflick, a Thurston County grocery worker who testified in favor. Several union-affiliated speakers and other residents made similar appeals. Attorney Caleb Geiger told the council the initiative “follows a long and successful history of successful popular ballot initiatives” and urged the council not to try to influence the outcome: “Rather than allow residents of the city to make informed decisions, the city has decided to put it the way of this chamber to influence the outcome of an election. That is wrong.”

Opponents said the measure was overly broad, poorly drafted and would impose disproportionate costs and administrative burdens on small businesses and nonprofits. “This initiative will have severe irreversible consequences that will be felt for years to come,” said Brandon Wheaton, a local restaurant owner. Several nonprofit leaders warned a sharp payroll increase would force cuts in services; Mindy Roberts, associate executive director of the Olympia Union Gospel Mission, said a $20 minimum wage would “have a devastating consequence for nonprofits like ours” and could force reductions in shelter beds and meals.

Speakers also disputed claims about who is behind the measure and whether enforcement would fall to the city or be managed through private litigation. Some speakers pressed the council on alternatives and on whether the city’s prior process to study wages and scheduling could have avoided the ballot measure. Supporters countered that the initiative included phased increases for small and medium employers and protections for immigrant workers and that leaving the measure to voters was the most democratic option.

Council discussion highlighted competing themes: several members said the initiative is poorly written and too prescriptive for the council to be able to correct later; others said the city has a duty to back living wages and scheduling predictability for low-wage workers. An amendment to change the draft resolution’s wording (substituting “support” for “oppose”) failed; the final motion to approve the resolution opposing Proposition 1 passed on a 4–3 vote.

The action was procedural: the council's resolution expresses the council majority’s opposition and does not prevent the measure from appearing on the November ballot. City staff said the initiative, if adopted by voters, would become municipal law and would include a rulemaking process limited by the initiative's text. The public hearing record will be part of the council and press record for the coming election cycle.

The council recessed after the vote and continued other business. Voters will decide Proposition 1 in the November 2025 general election.