The minimum wage in the City of San Diego rises by 50 cents to $10.50 per hour on Monday afternoon, nearly two years after the first approval by the City Council.
“The wait is now over and the raises will take affect this afternoon,” said City Councilman Todd Gloria, who championed the increase, at a City Hall press conference.
The minimum wage will rise again on Jan. 1, by another dollar to $11.50 per hour. The law also requires employers to provide five paid sick days per year.
The new minimum wage was approved by 63 percent of voters in June, and that election result is scheduled to be certified at Monday afternoon’s City Council meeting.
Gloria said that at the meeting he will push for adoption of an enforcement ordinance, and recommended a fine of $500 to $1,000 per employee per day. The City Treasurer would be charged with enforcing the new law.
“This isn’t about making money for the city,” Gloria said. “This is about making sure that the money gets into workers’ pockets.”
The minimum wage ordinance was originally approved by the council on July 28, 2014, vetoed by Mayor Kevin Faulconer, then re-approved by the council, but a business-backed petition drive forced it onto the next primary ballot.
Gloria described the new wage as “a huge victory for San Diego’s working families,” noting that it will put $260 more per month in workers pockets, money that in most cases would be spent on housing, transportation and other basic necessities.
“Not one’s going to get rich off this minimum wage increases,” he said.
