Ballot Measures Would Raise State Minimum Wage to $15

Factions of the Service Employees International Union have filed two ballot measures that would increase California’s minimum wage to $15 per hour. As of January 1, the state minimum wage is currently $10 per hour. The measures, both proposed for the November 8, 2016 election, would increase the minimum wage incrementally, one arriving at $15 per hour by 2021 and the other arriving at $15 per hour by 2020.

A similar measure was approved by San Francisco voters 77% to 23% on the November 4, 2014 election ballot. The measure raises the minimum wage in San Francisco to $13 per hour by July 2016, $14 per hour by July 2017, and $15 per hour by July, 2018.

Oakland voters raised the minimum pay in the city to $12.25 per hour as of March, 2015. The Berkeley City Council also enacted an ordinance last year to raise the city’s minimum wage to $12.53 per hour on Oct. 1, 2016. Richmond is raising its minimum pay to $12.30 per hour by 2017, and San Diego will increase to $11.50 per hour by 2017. In Eureka, however, voters rejected a measure that would have increased the minimum wage to $12 per hour for all businesses with more than 25 employees.

As a business owner, it’s important that you take note of minimum wage requirements relative to where your company is located. If the city’s minimum wage is higher than the state minimum wage, you must pay at the higher rate.