May 1, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Minimum Wage Increase To $15/Hr Approved

minimum wage
(Thinkstock)

In front of a boisterous downtown Los Angeles crowd of legislater, union leaders and workers who have been fighting for increased salaries, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation today that will raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2022.

Brown, during a ceremony at the Ronald Reagan State Building, said the passage of SB 3 doesn’t mark the end of the struggle for livable wages, but it’s a big step in the right direction.

“It’s about people,” Brown said. “It’s about creating a little tiny balance in a system that every day becomes more unbalanced.”

The state Assembly and Senate both approved the legislation Thursday, despite opposition from Republicans and business leaders.

Under the legislation, California’s $10-an-hour minimum wage will increase to $10.50 in January 2017, then to $11 on Jan. 1, 2018. The minimum wage will then go up by a dollar in each of the following years until it reaches $15 in 2022, after which it will continue to rise each year by up to 3.5 percent to account for inflation.

Businesses with 25 or fewer employees get an extra year to raise their wage, so that workers will be paid $15 by 2023.

The plan also gives the governor the ability to temporarily halt the raises if there is a forecasted budget deficit of more than one percent of annual revenue, or due to poor economic conditions such as declines in jobs and retail sales.

Government workers who provide in-home health services will receive an additional three paid sick days under the plan.

“Today we’re not just witnessing the signing of a bill, we’re witnessing the honoring of our social contract — specifically that, if you get a job and work hard, you will be able to support family,” Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Paramount, said. “For too long, that just hasn’t been the reality Many Californians who work full time can’t put a roof over their families’ haeds or put meals on their table. This bill changes that for tens of thousands of Californians.”

The wage hike will affect 5.6 million workers, or about one-third of the statewide workforce, officials said.

The proposal is similar, although slightly slower, than an already- approved increased in the city of Los Angeles minimum wage. Under the city ordinance, the minimum wage will increase to $10.50 on July 1 and eventually reach $15 per hour in 2020, with future increases pegged to the Consumer Price Index.

The same wage hike schedule was also adopted for the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.

“Today California leads the nation once again, passing a historic minimum wage increase that will help lift millions of hardworking men and women out of poverty,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “Last year, I led efforts to raise the wage in Los Angeles, and we watched a wave of cities follow suit. We are fighting against income inequality with every tool we have.”

Other California cities have also enacted wage increases, some even earlier than Los Angeles. San Jose’s wage rose to $10.30 per hour in Jan. 1, 2015, and is set to continue climbing depending on the CPI.

San Francisco’s minimum hourly wage, now at $12.25, will go up to $13 on July 1 and to $15 in 2018, followed by further increases based on CPI, under a measure approved by that city’s voters in 2014.

Republicans and business leaders opposed the statewide minimum-wage hike, arguing it will lead to businesses reducing the size of their work force or increasing prices to cover the costs of the increased wages.

Stuart Waldman, president of the Van Nuys-based Valley Industry & Commerce Association, said the law will also give businesses another reason to leave the state entirely.

“If you wanted to guarantee California will be the most expensive place to do business in the country for the foreseeable future, this is a good first step,” Waldman said. “We encourage California lawmakers to engage with the business community in order to work toward real solutions for income equality. The creation of well-paying jobs is fostered through smart fiscal policies and efficient government — not simply making businesses pay more in wages.”

But supporters, primarily Democrats, rallied behind the proposal, saying workers earning minimum wage should be able to pay for basic necessities.

“Wages are not keeping pace with the cost of living in California. Income inequality continues to grow,” said Assemblywoman Toni Atkins, D-San Diego. “This proposal will help millions of hard-working Californians while protecting taxpayers and small businesses if the economy experiences a downturn. We can be prudent and make sure workers are paid a reasonable, livable wage at the same time. It doesn’t have to be a choice.”

Labor unions are pushing two separate ballot initiatives aimed at raising the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour. Backers of one of the initiatives have said they will drop their effort in light of the new law. Backers of the other initiative said they are waiting until the governor signs the bill before deciding whether to drop their measure.

Tags: in News
Related Posts

UCLA Police Confront Students at Anniversary Screening of Encampment Documentary

May 1, 2025

May 1, 2025

Students Mark Somber Anniversary With a Film, UCPD Responds in Force On the first anniversary of the attack on the...

Cinco de Mayo Heats Up West Los Angeles With Food, Art, Music, and Mezcal Tastings

May 1, 2025

May 1, 2025

Mezcal Tastings, DJ Sets, Live Mural Installations, and Tlayudas Await It’s almost time for the holiday that isn’t celebrated in...

Make Your Own Pizza and Sip Craft Beer at Santa Monica’s Gourmandise School May 4

May 1, 2025

May 1, 2025

DIY Pizza and Craft Beer Collab Coming to Santa Monica Place Food lovers are invited to roll up their sleeves...

(Video) A Plus Tree: A Steward of Urban Forest Management Across Los Angeles

April 30, 2025

April 30, 2025

For More Info, Go To Aplustree.com For More Info, Go To https://t.co/fvJmXNZPfw pic.twitter.com/acHlzYhaFs — Westside Today (@WestsideLAToday) May 1, 2025

Celebrate the Kentucky Derby Day with Two Stylish Parties in L.A. on May 3

April 30, 2025

April 30, 2025

Two Ways to Celebrate Derby Day: From Rooftop Revelry to Classic Cocktails Hatchet Hall is inviting guests to don their...

Free Spanish Wine Happy Hour Coming to The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills

April 30, 2025

April 30, 2025

Gratis Happy Hour Includes Cheeses, Hand-Cut Jamón, and Exclusive Pairings Wine lovers are invited to a complimentary happy hour at...

Westside Restaurant Owner Alleges Excessive Force by LAPD in New Civil Rights Lawsuit

April 30, 2025

April 30, 2025

Arrest Occurred After Business Owner Attempted to Make a Misconduct Complaint The co-owner of a well-known café in South Los...

L.A. Councilmembers, Labor Leaders Oppose Proposed Cuts to LAPD Civilian Workforce

April 30, 2025

April 30, 2025

Roles Targeted Include Crime Scene Techs, 911 System Staff, and Fleet Mechanics Los Angeles City Councilmembers and labor leaders voiced...

Preliminary Hearing Begins for Driver in Malibu Crash That Claimed Four Pepperdine Students’ Lives

April 30, 2025

April 30, 2025

Defense Disputes Speed Claims in PCH Tragedy That Killed Four A Malibu man accused of speeding and crashing into a...

Prime Time Sports and Day Camps Coming Soon

April 30, 2025

April 30, 2025

Prime Time Sports Camp has remained a constant in the everchanging camp landscape for over 30 years by following this...

Tingly Drinks, Kona Coffee, and Comedy Nights: Kavahana Brings a New Kind of Buzz to Santa Monica

April 29, 2025

April 29, 2025

Right around the corner from Main Street, Kavahana is redefining how people hang out in Santa Monica. Part kava nectar...

First Measles Case in L.A. County Since March Linked to Texas Outbreak

April 29, 2025

April 29, 2025

884 Cases Reported Nationwide This Year, Most Among the Unvaccinated Health officials are investigating a confirmed case of measles in...

Ballona Creek Bike Path to Undergo Routine Maintenance Through July

April 29, 2025

April 29, 2025

Cleanup Project Includes Graffiti Removal, Trash Pickup, Tree Inspections The Culver City Public Works Department has begun a 15-week maintenance...

Former UCLA Preschool Teacher Convicted of Child Sexual Abuse

April 29, 2025

April 29, 2025

City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto Announces Guilty Verdicts A former preschool teacher at UCLA’s Early Care and Education department has...

Visible Flames Expected as ATF Conducts Testing in Santa Monica Mountains

April 29, 2025

April 29, 2025

Los Angeles Fire Department to oversee public safety during ATF fire tests The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and...