I got my first "job with a paycheck" in 1965 at the then minimum wage of $1.25/hr. In the run up on raising the minimum wage I read that if it had kept up with inflation, the minimum wage today would be $21/hr, not the $15 being sought. I haven't calculated it myself, so I don't know if that's true. However it does seem like the lowest paid workers have fallen behind when it comes to keeping up with the cost of living, in Seattle, and anywhere.