Thirty dollars an hour — for minimum wage. It would be the highest in the United States, and it could become a reality in California.
A proposal in Alameda County would raise the minimum wage to $30 an hour — making it the highest in the nation. California’s statewide minimum wage is currently $16.90 an hour. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.
Supporters collected 117,000 signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot, but voters won’t decide it this November. The Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted 3-to-2 to delay the measure and first conduct an economic impact study.
The proposed increase would be phased in, with businesses reaching $30 an hour between 2030 and 2037, depending on their size.
Opponents warn a $30 wage could mean higher prices, fewer jobs — or businesses closing altogether. “A sudden jump to $30 an hour minimum wage could force them to close their businesses, cut jobs, raise hours, raise prices or close altogether,” Rudy Recile, a Republican candidate running for California’s 8th Congressional District, said at a news conference against the proposal.
Supporters say it would provide a living wage in California, due to the state’s high cost of living, highest-in-the-nation taxes and highest gas prices. “I would be able to afford rent. I wouldn’t have to live with my parents. I could afford a car again,” a supporter said at a rally for the proposal, according to the Patch.
