A downtown Los Angeles-based business chamber said on Friday its members want Mayor Eric Garcetti to tweak his proposal for raising the minimum wage to $13.25 an hour by 2017.
The Central City Association issued a statement suggesting the mayor’s proposed $4.25 increase from $9 be spread out over four years — instead of three years — for companies with more than 500 employees.
Smaller companies and nonprofits should be allowed to phase-in the increase over seven years, the group said.
The group also suggested a separate, lower wage be set for teenage workers.
The association said it “appreciates Mayor Eric Garcetti’s focus on raising Los Angeles residents out of poverty, but we are concerned about possible negative consequences for existing jobs, job creation and business retention unless there are significant changes to his proposal for a citywide minimum wage.”
The group added that “any minimum wage proposal must be coupled with initiatives to attract, retain and grow businesses that create good paying jobs for Los Angeles.”
The group said the mayor should do away with the city’s business tax, “without imposing unreasonable additional taxes on businesses.”
The changes are necessary “so that businesses can cope with this unprecedented mandate and smaller businesses in particular can prevent widespread layoffs,” the statement said.
The group also called on the City Council to drop a proposal to raise hourly wages for some hotel workers to $15.37.
