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California to adopt $15 minimum wage

March 29, 2016

moneyGov. Jerry Brown announced Monday that California lawmakers have struck a deal to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2022. Yearly minimum wage hikes will begin in 2017. [CBS News]

California currently has a $10 minimum wage. It is tied with Massachusetts for the highest statewide minimum wage in the country.

Though California’s minimum wage just increased in January, lawmakers came under pressure to raise it again after a union-sponsored initiative recently qualified for the Nov. 8 ballot. The initiative called for raising the minimum wage to $15 at a more rapid pace than the deal Brown announced Monday. Polls showed California voters would approve the ballot measure.

Under the new agreement, small businesses that have fewer than 26 employees will get an additional year to phase in the increases. California lawmakers still have to formally approve the deal.

More than 6.5 million Californians, or 43 percent of the workforce, currently make less than $15 an hour.

“There is a principle called the living family wage — you can’t expect someone to work if the wages for that work can’t support a family,” Brown said.

However, the governor added that a $15 an hour wage could not support a family.

The California Chamber of Commerce has argued against proposed minimum wage increases, saying they will require small businesses to pay more while making less. The Chamber of Commerce said the $15 minimum wage proposal would hurt the employees it is intended to help.

The cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco have already approved $15 minimum wage laws. San Francisco’s minimum wage is due to increase to $15 by 2018, and Los Angeles’ minimum wage will rise to $15 by 2020.


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achillesheal,


Some of the jobs that I can think of if Obamacare is repealed, is the job of burying people at graveyards because they had “pre-conditions” of which is not accounted for anymore, therefore they didn’t have healthcare to address their maladies of which they succumbed too.


Praise Ted Cruz in wanting to eliminate Obamacare on his first day in office, and without any replacement, yes, Mr. Cruz is certainly a godly man looking out for the citizens of the USA.


WWJD?


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So people with pre-existing conditions prior to obama care were dying in the streets? Everyone gets health care. They just don’t pay for it. If you don’t believe me visit an emergency room.


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Oh! They do cancer treatments in emergency rooms?


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Yet another taxpayer-robbing heist by the organized-crime thugs of the SEIU.


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What worries me more is how increased wages will accelerate the pace toward automation wherever it can be implemented, eliminating production positions altogether.


And, where service employees are required, most will be hired on a part-time basis in order to avoid the costs associated with paying full-time employees.


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The Washington Post says the wage hike would cost CA taxpayers $3.5 Billion: http://wapo.st/1pLLxss


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“The Chamber of Commerce said the $15 minimum wage proposal would hurt the employees it is intended to help.”


I agree totally! Minimum wage workers who now qualify for welfare and food stamps will no longer be eligible for those benefits. That’s actually good.


I think it’s unAmerican that a person who works full time needs welfare and food stamps to survive.


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I agree. It’s UnAmerican for a person to be so inept that they earn minimum wage after being in the work force for more than 1-year.


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I think it’s “unAmerican” to assume that every job must provide for all the necessities of the employee. There is such a thing as “starter” work or jobs. My first job didn’t pay squat, but motivated me to better myself (education and work ethics) and move up.


I do not blame my first employer for “under paying” me; instead, I thank him for giving me a job and a chance to prove myself and move up in life. It was one step. There are many steps in life. Perhaps we should not think people have to camp out and live on that first step, but rather keep climbing?


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These aren’t just “starter” jobs. Nearly half of California workers earn less than $15 per hour.


I started at minimum wage, too. I also worked my way through college and moved up the job ladder.


However, I’d hate to be starting out today. It looks to me like that career ladder is broken. There are far fewer opportunities for people to move up today.


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Either that or people do nothing to get off the bottom wrung because they expect someone else to provide for their needs.


There is a reason that there are signs posted in Yosemite not to feed wild animals. When you feed them, they turn into beggars and lose their instinct to hunt.


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For everyone whining that this will kill small businesses, they have SIX YEARS until minimum wage hits $15 an hour.


Would you rather pay higher wages and a little bit more for goods and services, or subsidize minimum wage workers with government welfare? Easy decision for me.


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The problem is, Kaiser Bill, that we will pay both higher wages and government welfare including the latest form of welfare – the obamacare subsidies, which millionaires who keep their incomes under $60k are collecting.


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The sad fact may be that in six years, $15 will be worth $8 today…


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So you want people to earn less than $6 an hour in six years?


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$15 bucks is great news, it means your $50 per hour job should bump up to $75 or so.


What CA needs is nice slow crash in RE prices and that combination will make life a lot easier for people around the state.


On the other hand, if that doesnt occur you could see PhD’s suck up the $75 dollar an hour jobs and the rest of the workforce move down towards the $15 mark.


In this election are the seeds of both. Mr Sanders is your man if you think we slip down. Clinton will be better if we rise. None of the rest matter one way or the other.


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I don’t know how any one can live on $10 bucks an hour in SLO County given what rents are

even with it rising to $15 it will be some relief but not enough.I believe abigchocoholic is correct if you pay people a wage better than what they get from the government,they will work.Yes people will scream it is going to cost more to go out and eat or go to the movies if minimum goes up but we all pay for it whether it is increase minimum wage or the money we pay to support the government programs,welfare,food stamps ect.


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How about this concept? Until the Republicans come through with their 2012 mantra of “jobs, jobs, jobs” that, in part, won them the House and Senate, let’s make the minimum wage $15.00 per hour until they do, post haste!

http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-congress/2012/05/boehner-this-election-is-about-jobs-124919


As it has been shown for the last 4 years, and counting, not one jobs bill has been introduced by the GOP, but only obstructionism by this party when the Democrats introduce such bills. Maybe there would be no need to raise the minimum wage if the GOP came through with their jobs promise?


The GOP rather spend their time on trying to overturn the “law” of Obamacare for the millionth time, or spend valuable time taking away women’s rights, being anti LGBT, introducing Bronze Age Christianity concepts into laws, or a “plethora” of other waste of time actions that do not address their promises made in their 2012 campaign.


Then the GOP wonders why their party is imploding at this time. Comical.


WWJD?


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Repealing Obamacare would be a “jobs” bill, Ted.


Fear not though. The Washington elite only talk the talk, particularly around election time, they don’t walk the walk.


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