California City Weighs Joining Neighbors With $15 Minimum Wage

A $15 minimum wage ordinance is expected to be adopted March 9 by San Carlos, Calif., which would join more than 20 neighboring locations with similar wages.

If approved by the city council, the proposed ordinance would establish a $15 minimum wage that would take effect July 1, 2020. The wage would be reviewed in subsequent years for inflation-related adjustments.

The ordinance was introduced Feb. 24 and was unanimously supported by the city council. A second reading, scheduled for March 9, is required before the ordinance is adopted, the city clerk said.

Nearby Hayward and Half Moon Bay each adopted a $15 minimum wage in early February, with Hayward’s to take effect July 1, 2020, and Half Moon Bay’s to take effect Jan. 1, 2021.

Other cities in the San Francisco area that recently established minimum wages that are about $15 an hour: Alameda, Belmont, Berkeley, Cupertino, Daly City, El Cerrito, Emeryville, Fremont, Menlo Park, Milpitas, Mountain View, Novato, Oakland, Palo Alto, Redwood City, San Jose, San Leandro, San Mateo, Santa Clara, South San Francisco, and Sunnyvale.

The California hourly minimum wage is $13 in 2020 for employers with up to 26 employees and $12 for employers with up to 25 employees. The state wage is to reach $15 in 2022 for large employers and 2023 for small employers.