Move over Seattle and San Francisco. A small city in Northern California has literally take the minimum wage fight to a whole new level.
On Tuesday, the Emeryville City Council initially approved a plan to hike its baseline pay to $16 an hour by the year 2019. If enacted, it would constitute the highest minimum wage in America.
Under the new ordinance, which garnered unanimous approval, all businesses will see a hike in the minimum wage as of July 1. For those with less than 55 employees, the new baseline will be $12.25 per hour; for those with more than 55 employees, employees will have to paid at least $14.44 per hour. Those figures will then gradually increase each year, eventually rising to $16 for all businesses in 2019.
Mayor Ruth Atkin says the measure is aimed at eradicating income inequality in the city.
"The gap between the richest and the poorest is growing and it's out of control," the mayor said. "People who work 40 hours a week should not have to be eligible for any public assistance."
Professionals like Cole Tibbetts, however, insist the increase would be too much too soon for the city’s small businesses.
"I'm here to ask the council to delay implementation and conduct an economic impact study," said Tibbetts who manages a card club in Emeryville. "An increase of this size and speed is going to be too much for businesses to handle in such a short time."
Tuesday’s decision follows similar minimum wage proposals throughout the country. Last November, San Francisco voters approved a measure to increase the city’s minimum wage to $15 by 2018. Seattle has also pursued a phase-in plan to hike its baseline pay to $15 per hour. Meanwhile, the minimum wage in Berkeley is set to rise to $12.53 by 2016, while Richmond’s will jump to $13 by 2018. So far, no city in the country has set a target above $16 per hour.
Final approval of the ordinance will be considered by the Emeryville City Council on May 19.
Read more about Tuesday’s vote here.