
Protesters carry signs for higher wages in the parking lot at a McDonalds in South Los Angeles in 2015. (Photo: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Protesters carry signs for higher wages in the parking lot at a McDonalds in South Los Angeles in 2015. (Photo: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Hoping to avoid a costly ballot fight, California lawmakers and labor unions on Saturday reportedly reached an agreement to raise the state minimum wage to $15 an hour gradually by 2023.
Governor Jerry Brown is expected to make a formal announcement on Monday, but a source close to the negotiations revealed the content of the deal to the Los Angeles Times two days ahead.
"According to a document obtained by The Times, the negotiated deal would boost California's statewide minimum wage from $10 an hour to $10.50 on Jan. 1, 2017, with a 50-cent increase in 2018 and then $1-per-year increases through 2022. Businesses with fewer than 25 employees would have an extra year to comply, delaying their workers receiving a $15 hourly wage until 2023," the Times reports.
A minimum wage initiative that would have raised the wage to $15 by 2021, which was championed by SEIU United Healthcare Workers West, had recently qualified for the November ballot forcing state lawmakers to take swift action.
"For Brown, it's political pragmatism," the Times reports, "numerous statewide polls have suggested voters would approve a minimum wage proposal--perhaps even a more sweeping version--if given the chance."
State Senator Mark Leno, (D-San Francisco), told The Associated Press that, if approved, the deal will "go before the Legislature as part of his minimum-wage bill that stalled last year."
"This is not a done deal," Leno cautioned, adding that "everyone's been operating in good faith."
According to the Times, business groups "were relegated to the sidelines" during the latest round of negotiations. "They had sought some kind of way to preempt the local wage ordinances through state legislation, but labor groups considered that kind of concession a non-starter," the Times reports.
The new agreement will not override local efforts to boost wages at a more rapid pace.
In May 2015, Los Angeles voted to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020, becoming the largest city thus far to do so. And last summer, Emeryville raised the wage to $14.44, which, according to In These Times, is the highest blanket rate of any city in the nation.
As of January 1, the current statewide minimum wage is $10 an hour.
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Hoping to avoid a costly ballot fight, California lawmakers and labor unions on Saturday reportedly reached an agreement to raise the state minimum wage to $15 an hour gradually by 2023.
Governor Jerry Brown is expected to make a formal announcement on Monday, but a source close to the negotiations revealed the content of the deal to the Los Angeles Times two days ahead.
"According to a document obtained by The Times, the negotiated deal would boost California's statewide minimum wage from $10 an hour to $10.50 on Jan. 1, 2017, with a 50-cent increase in 2018 and then $1-per-year increases through 2022. Businesses with fewer than 25 employees would have an extra year to comply, delaying their workers receiving a $15 hourly wage until 2023," the Times reports.
A minimum wage initiative that would have raised the wage to $15 by 2021, which was championed by SEIU United Healthcare Workers West, had recently qualified for the November ballot forcing state lawmakers to take swift action.
"For Brown, it's political pragmatism," the Times reports, "numerous statewide polls have suggested voters would approve a minimum wage proposal--perhaps even a more sweeping version--if given the chance."
State Senator Mark Leno, (D-San Francisco), told The Associated Press that, if approved, the deal will "go before the Legislature as part of his minimum-wage bill that stalled last year."
"This is not a done deal," Leno cautioned, adding that "everyone's been operating in good faith."
According to the Times, business groups "were relegated to the sidelines" during the latest round of negotiations. "They had sought some kind of way to preempt the local wage ordinances through state legislation, but labor groups considered that kind of concession a non-starter," the Times reports.
The new agreement will not override local efforts to boost wages at a more rapid pace.
In May 2015, Los Angeles voted to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020, becoming the largest city thus far to do so. And last summer, Emeryville raised the wage to $14.44, which, according to In These Times, is the highest blanket rate of any city in the nation.
As of January 1, the current statewide minimum wage is $10 an hour.
Hoping to avoid a costly ballot fight, California lawmakers and labor unions on Saturday reportedly reached an agreement to raise the state minimum wage to $15 an hour gradually by 2023.
Governor Jerry Brown is expected to make a formal announcement on Monday, but a source close to the negotiations revealed the content of the deal to the Los Angeles Times two days ahead.
"According to a document obtained by The Times, the negotiated deal would boost California's statewide minimum wage from $10 an hour to $10.50 on Jan. 1, 2017, with a 50-cent increase in 2018 and then $1-per-year increases through 2022. Businesses with fewer than 25 employees would have an extra year to comply, delaying their workers receiving a $15 hourly wage until 2023," the Times reports.
A minimum wage initiative that would have raised the wage to $15 by 2021, which was championed by SEIU United Healthcare Workers West, had recently qualified for the November ballot forcing state lawmakers to take swift action.
"For Brown, it's political pragmatism," the Times reports, "numerous statewide polls have suggested voters would approve a minimum wage proposal--perhaps even a more sweeping version--if given the chance."
State Senator Mark Leno, (D-San Francisco), told The Associated Press that, if approved, the deal will "go before the Legislature as part of his minimum-wage bill that stalled last year."
"This is not a done deal," Leno cautioned, adding that "everyone's been operating in good faith."
According to the Times, business groups "were relegated to the sidelines" during the latest round of negotiations. "They had sought some kind of way to preempt the local wage ordinances through state legislation, but labor groups considered that kind of concession a non-starter," the Times reports.
The new agreement will not override local efforts to boost wages at a more rapid pace.
In May 2015, Los Angeles voted to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020, becoming the largest city thus far to do so. And last summer, Emeryville raised the wage to $14.44, which, according to In These Times, is the highest blanket rate of any city in the nation.
As of January 1, the current statewide minimum wage is $10 an hour.