Fast-food restaurants vow to sue over the regulation, which raises the minimum wage to double the federal level.

15:58, UK, Tuesday 03 June 2014

Labor activists Ginger Jentzen and Jeremy Thornes listen during a Seattle City Council meeting in which the council voted on raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour in Seattle, Washington

Seattle has introduced a minimum hourly wage of $15 (£9) - the highest in the US and nearly twice the national level.

There were celebrations at city hall on Monday as the council unanimously passed the measure, which is due to be phased in over seven years.

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray is expected to sign it on Tuesday.

The north-western US state of Washington, where Seattle is situated, has the nation's highest state-level minimum wage, at $9.32. 

Seattle City Council member-elect Sawant addresses the crowd during a rally to raise the hourly minimum wage for fast-food workers in Seattle

The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, though dozens of states have set higher levels.

President Barack Obama is urging the nation to adopt a $10.10 minimum wage, but Republicans say that would cost jobs. 

Socialist City Council Member Kshama Sawant, who championed the campaign, said on Monday night their victory would inspire workers across the nation.

A customers exits a McDonald's restaurant as members of 'MoveOn' shout slogans against McDonald's in front of the restaurant in Times Square, New York

"We did it. Workers did this," Ms Sawant said. "We need to continue to build an even more powerful movement."

But an organisation representing fast-food restaurants vowed to challenge the law.

The International Franchise Association said the ordinance was "unfair, discriminatory and a deliberate attempt to achieve a political agenda at the expense of small-franchise business owners".

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