CITY OF LOS ANGELESSeptember 1, 2014
MAYOR GARCETTI ANNOUNCES PROPOSAL TO RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE IN LOS ANGELES TO $13.25 BY 2017
LOS ANGELES — Mayor Eric Garcetti announced his proposal to raise the minimum wage in Los Angeles from the current $9 per hour to $13.25 in 2017. Mayor Garcetti made the Labor Day announcement at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park in South Los Angeles with a coalition of business, labor, community, and faith leaders from across the city.
Mayor Garcetti’s minimum wage proposal would gradually and responsibly raise the current minimum wage in Los Angeles to $10.25 in 2015, $11.75 in 2016, and $13.25 in 2017, an amount that would enable Angelenos to rise above the poverty level. The current minimum wage in L.A. is set by the state at $9. Future increases would be tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) to ensure wages are not eroded by inflation. For more information visit http://www.lamayor.org/raisethewagela
“While our city has added 40,000 jobs and unemployment has dropped 2% since I became mayor, the erosion of wages for low- and middle-wage workers threatens our recovery,” said Mayor Garcetti. “Our city has always enjoyed the greatest prosperity when everyone can afford to support themselves and contribute to our economy. I’m proposing to responsibly and gradually raise the minimum wage in L.A. to $13.25 because it’s deplorable and bad for our economy to have one million Angelenos stuck in poverty, even when working full-time.”
Mayor Garcetti’s proposal has been studied by leading U.C. Berkeley economists and researchers Michael Reich, Ken Jacobs, Annette Bernhardt, and Ian Perry. They stated: “the proposed policy would provide significant gains in income to Los Angeles’ low-wage workers and their families. Most businesses would be able to absorb the increased costs, and consumers would see a small one-time increase in restaurant prices. The policy’s impact on overall employment is not
likely to be significant.” Their full report can be downloaded here: http://tinyurl.com/BerkeleyLAWageReport
Mayor Garcetti was joined today at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park by City Attorney Mike Feuer; seven City Councilmembers including Council President Herb Wesson and Councilmembers Mike Bonin, Gil Cedillo, Nury Martinez, Curren Price, Paul Koretz, and Joe Buscaino; Congressmember Karen Bass; Mayor of Culver City Meghan Sahli-Wells, Mayor of Santa Monica Pam O’Connor, and Mayor Pro-Tem of West Hollywood John Heilman; business leader Eli Broad; labor leader María Elena Durazo; and community and faith leaders from throughout Los Angeles.
Mayor Garcetti’s proposal will be introduced and debated by the Los Angeles City Council. Passage of the proposed ordinance will require a majority vote of the Council and approval by the Mayor.
###
