Seattle City Council approves $15 minimum hourly wage

The Seattle City Council unanimously approved the highest minimum wage among major U.S. cities on Monday, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Minimum wage would be raised to $15 an hour, which is double the federal level.

The proposal will be the test case for local rules that offer more leeway to certain small businesses over global chains and larger employers, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray told the Wall Street Journal.

The plan breaks the city down into four employer groups that will be given between 2017 and 2021 to meet the $15 mark. Time allowed is based on employer size and benefits offered, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Washington state currently has the highest hourly wage floor at $9.32.

San Francisco currently has the highest minimum wage among large cities at $10.74 an hour.

Read more from the Wall Street Journal.