Move Over San Francisco – Richmond, Calif. to Take Top U.S. Minimum Wage
Above and beyond, that’s what the City of Richmond, California was striving for as they passed a minimum wage ordinance that would create a citywide minimum wage reaching $12.30 per hour by 2017, if the ordinance achieves final approval in May.
Beginning in 2018, the rate would be tied to Consumer Price Index to allow for cost-of-living increases.
Businesses with 10 or fewer employees would be exempt but would be subject to the California state minimum wage or Federal rate.
If approved, Richmond’s minimum wage rate would lead the six U.S. cities that have established their own rates. The other five include:
- San Francisco, California – $10.74
- San Jose, California – $10.15
- Baltimore, Maryland – $7.25
- Albuquerque, New Mexico – $8.60
- Santa Fe, New Mexico – $10.51
JUNE 3, 2014 UPDATE – SEATTLE RAISES MINIMUM WAGE TO $15 PER HOUR
Seatac, Washington established a $15.00 per hour minimum wage for only hospitality and transportation workers, but the rate does not apply to employees across all industries in the city.
Oklahoma recently passed emergency legislation prohibiting its municipalities from establishing independent minimum wage rates.
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2014 U.S. Minimum Wage Increases Topped by Seatac, Washington
Seatac, Washington is home to 26,909 residents, the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, and now the highest minimum wage in the United States.
JUNE 3, 2014 UPDATE – SEATTLE RAISES MINIMUM WAGE TO $15 PER HOUR
With the passage of Proposition 1, Seatac voters created a new minimum wage of $15 per hour for hospitality and transportation workers, effective January 1, 2014. Seatac’s rate surpasses the State of Washington’s minimum wage, which will increase to $9.32 January 1, 2014 and is the highest state minimum wage in the nation.
The Seatac minimum wage, which is indexed to the cost of living and is a living wage ordinance, requires employers in the transportation and hospitality industry to notify employees of rate increases each year but does not stipulate a posting requirement.
Five cities in the U.S. have passed minimum wage ordinances that affect minimum-wage workers in all industries, and their 2014 rates include:
- San Francisco, California – $10.74
- San Jose, California – $10.15
- Baltimore, Maryland – $7.25
- Albuquerque, New Mexico – $8.60
- Santa Fe, New Mexico – $10.51
As part of our Update Program for corporate clients with 50 locations or more, GovDocs offers labor law posting compliance research and coverage of 25 cities in the U.S. with more cities being added to the roster in 2014.