Great Day for California’s Working Families

March 31, 2016 by Peter McEntee

Today, March 31 (Cesar Chavez Day), thanks to tenacious advocacy by labor unions and workers’ right advocates, both houses of the State Legislature passed a historic minimum wage increase for California workers that the Governor has vowed to sign into law.  This legislative accomplishment will benefit low-wage workers throughout the State by enacting the highest minimum wage in the country.

The current minimum wage in California is $10.00 per hour.  That wage is nowhere close to a living wage for people who are attempting to support their families.  This new law will gradually increase the minimum wage to $15 by 2022.  The minimum wage in each year will be:  $10.50 in 2017; $11.00 in 2018; $12.00 in 2019; $13.00 in 2020; $14.00 in 2021; and $15.00 in 2020.  For employers with 25 or less employees, each increase will be delayed by one year.  This bill will also grant paid sick leave to IHSS workers, who were previously excluded from California’s paid sick leave law.

This legislation will help approximately six million employees who currently make minimum wage or only slightly above the current minimum wage.  These increases, while modest, will make a significant difference in the lives of working families.  We commend the California Labor movement, including the Teamsters, and California’s leaders for taking the initiative to address the critical issue of income inequality and for taking meaningful steps towards raising low wage workers out of poverty. 

Media Coverage:

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-minimum-wage-vote-20160331-story.html

http://ktla.com/2016/03/31/historic-minimum-wage-measure-passes-california-assembly/

On Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/MinimumWageRaise/

https://www.facebook.com/Fightfor15/

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