Given the language, it sounds more Seattle-specific. The "fair labor laws" is probably a direct response to Seattle's $15.00 minimum wage, that not only put a significant increase on minimum wage rate, but also had to result in a significant escalation of all hourly worker costs. If the guy who used to earn $11 now makes $15, the guy who used to make $13 still needs to be paid more than the guy who used to earn $11 (and a commensurate raise for the guy who used to earn $15, and the guy who used to earn $17, etc). There has been a study that says minimum wage workers in Seattle on average ended up making less money with the new rate because they got a higher rate but less work. This card pretty much shows that effect in spades.

While this doesn't seem to be a nationwide or global test, I can see this this being a test for other cities that are raising their minimum wages faster than the rest of the US.