By Megan Cloherty
WTOP, June 7, 2016
WASHINGTON — The D.C. Council on Tuesday approved a $15-an-hour minimum wage bill. Mayor Muriel Bowser has promised to sign the measure, which will raise the wage by 2020. ... Minimum wage workers in the District currently make $10.50. That rate will increase to $11.50 in July ...
“In addition we’ll have a tipped minimum wage that will increase to $5 in 2020. And thereafter, it will increase in pursuant to the Consumer Price Index,” said at-large Council member Vincent Orange before the vote. ...
“The fight for 15 is something we’ve been behind all along,” said restaurant owner Andy Shallal who operates Busboys & Poets as well as other businesses in D.C.
Shallal said he is concerned about the effect a change in payroll combined with paid leave and family leave will have on businesses that operate close to their bottom line. ...
Some critical of raising the wage say the costs incurred by businesses will be passed on to customers.
For other small businesses, raising the minimum wage could help with employee retention and hiring.
“It’s easy for businesses to understand where the wage structure is going to be and it’s predictable and it does attract the best talent possible. So it certainly does make it competitive with surrounding regions,” said Bryan McGannon, policy director for the American Sustainable Business Council. ...
D.C. joins numerous other cities around the country and the state of California that have approved a $15-an-hour minimum wage.
Copyright 2016 WTOP