On this day: $1 minimum wage goes into effect in Washington in 1959

<p>First and Yesler in downtown Seattle circa 1959. Credit: Wikimedia Commons&nbsp;</p>

First and Yesler in downtown Seattle circa 1959. Credit: Wikimedia Commons 

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The following is a HistoryLink.org essay written by Alan J. Stein 

On June 11, 1959, the Washington Minimum Wage and Hour Act goes into effect, setting the state minimum wage for most workers at $1 an hour. Small increases will be made to the minimum wage over the years until 1988, when voters will approve a large increase making Washington's minimum wage the highest in the nation. Another rate hike will occur in 1998 and later adjustments for inflation will follow.