The US Supreme Court has dismissed a challenge to Seattle's $15 an hour minimum wage from franchise business owners.
The high court's decision not to hear the appeal left in place a lower court ruling in favour of the mandated wage hike.
The law, which went into effect in April 2015, requires businesses in Seattle with more than 500 employees nationwide to raise their minimum wage to $15 by 2018.
Local businesses employing fewer than 500 workers have seven years to implement the hike.
Five franchises and the International Franchise Association sued the city, saying they were being unfairly treated because they are part of multi-state networks.
Lawyers for the franchises argued that in reality they are small businesses and should have more time to phase in the new wage minimum.
Supreme Court justices did not comment on their decision to reject the challenge.
Seattle was the first major US city to enact a $15 wage amid pressure from unions and workers' rights groups.
The move has since been copied to some degree in cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles, and at the state level in California and New York.
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