Washington State Lawmakers Weigh Training Wage For New Employees - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

Washington State Lawmakers Weigh Training Wage For New Employees

Posted: Updated:

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Washington state has the highest state minimum wage in the nation, but a new bill being considered by lawmakers would allow some employers to pay a lower "training wage" to new employees for a certain period of time.
    
The measure heard before the Senate Commerce & Labor Committee on Tuesday would establish a special training certificate for employers with fewer than 50 employees. The certificate would allow them to pay new employees 75 percent of the minimum wage during a training period to last no longer than 680 hours. Washington state's minimum wage increased by 15 cents this month to $9.19 per hour.
    
Employers would only be able to use the certificate once per employee, and training wages could not be used on more than 10 percent of the employer's workforce.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

  • Most Popular StoriesMost Popular Stories

  • Wednesday, May 22 2013 12:27 AM EDT2013-05-22 04:27:35 GMT
    SPRAGUE LAKE, Wash. - The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office has confirmed with KHQ that one person died following a boating accident on Sprague Lake.
    SPRAGUE LAKE, Wash. - The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office has confirmed with KHQ that one person died following a boating accident on Sprague Lake. The Sheriff's office says that about 3:00pm Tuesday afternoon they responded to a report of two people who had washed ashore at Sprague Lake. Once they arrived they found a man and a woman on the shore.

  • Tuesday, May 21 2013 3:46 PM EDT2013-05-21 19:46:46 GMT
    OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The father of an 8-year-old Oklahoma boy says a teacher saved his son's life as a tornado tore into their school yesterday.
    OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The father of an 8-year-old Oklahoma boy says a teacher saved his son's life as a tornado tore into their school yesterday.

  • Wednesday, May 22 2013 4:11 AM EDT2013-05-22 08:11:37 GMT
    SPOKANE, Wash. - Spokane Police responded to an armed robbery on Spokane's south hill. 

     
    SPOKANE, Wash. - Spokane Police responded to an armed robbery on Spokane's south hill. It happened just before midnight when police say a man walked into the 7-11 at 30th & Regal, displayed what appeared to be a revolver and demanded money. The suspect fled the scene on a bicycle.