California Lawmakers Reach Deal to Raise California Minimum Wage to $15/Hour by 2022
Topics: New Laws & Legislation, Wage & Hour Issues
Last week, we reported on two labor-backed measures to increase California’s minimum wage that may be on the November ballot in California. Now, it appears that California’s lawmakers have struck a deal with labor groups to raise the minimum wage without sending the minimum wage hike proposals to the voters to decide. Governor Brown’s office issued a press release today describing the “landmark agreement.” Under this tentative agreement, California’s minimum wage would rise to $10.50 per hour effective January 1, 2017, $11.00 per hour effective January 1, 2018, and then an additional one dollar per hour each year thereafter until reaching $15 per hour effective January 1, 2022. For employers with 25 or fewer employees, the minimum wage increases would start a year later ($10.50 per hour in January 2018) and increase to $15 per hour by January 2023. Once the minimum wage increases to $15 per hour, it could then be further increased each year thereafter by up to 3.5% to account for inflation.
In addition to raising the minimum wage, the “deal” also provides for 3 days of paid sick leave for in-home supportive care workers, to be phased in gradually between 2018 and 2022.
The “deal” is not yet law. It still has to be voted on and approved by California’s Assembly and Senate, which could happen this week, and then signed into law by Governor Brown. The odds appear to be pretty good that this will all happen.