Ballot Measure 1, aimed at boosting Alaska minimum wage, passing by wide margin

A ballot measure to increase Alaska’s minimum wage and provide guaranteed sick leave to most workers was winning by a large margin as results streamed in late Tuesday.

With about 97% of precincts reporting statewide, Ballot Measure 1 had received 137,428 votes in favor and 105,451 votes against it, according to initial results posted Wednesday by the Alaska Division of Elections. The measure was winning with 56.6% of the vote, with 43.4% opposed.

Ballot Measure 1 proposes to increase the minimum wage to $13 per hour in 2025, $14 per hour in 2026, and $15 an hour in 2027, raising it in stages from the current $11.73 an hour. Increases after that would depend on inflation.

It would affect thousands of low-wage workers in Alaska. A $15 wage is still considered below a living wage for all Alaska adults, according to research from MIT.

The measure is designed to ensure that most Alaska workers receive at least 40 hours of paid leave per year. It also would prohibit employers from punishing employees for declining to attend meetings of a political or religious nature, which can sometimes be used to dissuade employees from unionizing.

The measure is backed by a coalition of Alaska labor leaders, chaired by Ed Flanagan, former commissioner of the Alaska Department of Labor under Democratic Gov. Tony Knowles. A coalition of more than 100 small businesses in the state also backed it.

Proponents argued it would improve living and working conditions for many Alaskans and benefit the economy by putting more money into the hands of people who will spend it.

The supporters reported raising $2.6 million to back the initiative, in large part from the Fairness Project, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that has worked on several ballot measures in other states to raise minimum wages or guarantee paid time off.

Opponents of the measure include the Alaska Chamber and other organizations representing business interests, along with some Republican lawmakers. They argued the measure would lead to higher costs for businesses, forcing prices higher.

The campaign against the measure reported raising more than $95,000 to back their opposition, most of it from the Alaska Chamber.