Emeryville minimum wage rises to $16.30 for all businesses
EMERYVILLE — Starting this month, all workers in Emeryville will be making at least $16.30 an hour, reportedly the highest minimum wage in the country.
The City Council this week amended an ordinance to establish that minimum rate for everyone, resulting in a victory for union officials who demanded it and defeat for some small restaurant owners who warned it could force them to lay off workers or possibly doom their businesses.
The council previously had exempted restaurants with fewer than 55 employees from increasing the minimum wage from $15 to $16.30 on July 1 but reversed itself Tuesday by mandating the higher rate for everyone in response to a union-led petition drive.
It could have called for a special election to let voters decide whether small restaurants should be exempted. City staff estimated that would have cost $26,612 to $99,795 plus printing and translation costs, depending on when the election was held.
Read more: https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/07/25/emeryville-minimum-wage-rises-to-16-30-for-all-businesses/