Palo Alto is the latest Silicon Valley town to approach raising the minimum wage above the state standard. The City Council’s 4-member Policy and Services Committee voted unanimously to recommend raising the wage to $11 an hour by next January with an annual increase by CPI, with a goal of $15 an hour by 2018. That follows the intent of Sunnyvale and Mountain View, which have already raised their minimum wage above the state level, and set goals for reaching $15 by ’18. Palo Alto Councilmember Cory Wolbach advocated for an even higher next step in the minimum, but ultimately, all agreed on $11 an hour. The issue could go to the full council in the next couple of weeks. The movement toward a more liveable regional minimum wage launched in earnest after The South Bay Labor Council, Working Partnerships USA and other community organizations pushed to pass the $2 increase in San Jose’s minimum wage proposed by San Jose State University students in 2012. That was the biggest one-time increase in the wage in U.S. history. Look for other local jurisdictions to boost their minimums in the near future.
Do you have a news tip you would like to share? Would you like to contribute to The Left Hook? Email us at LeftHookBlog@gmail.com
No Comments