Morgan M. Hurley | Uptown Assistant Editor
The much talked about minimum wage hike for San Diegans was approved on July 14 in City Council chambers by a vote of 6 to 3.
The increase, passed as an ordinance proposed and later modified by Council President Todd Gloria, includes no exemptions for any industry or business and will move San Diego beyond the most recent state minimum wage increase of $9 per hour on July 1, to a total of $11.50 by January of 2017. The newly approved rate falls significantly short of the $13.09 originally proposed by Gloria, and will be phased in over time, with $9.75 going into effect January of 2015, $10.50 the following January, and the final, full $1 hike effective in January of 2017. Also part of the measure was the ability for each worker to earn up to five days of sick leave.
“San Diego is a city where workers are respected and paid fairly. San Diego prioritizes responsible business practices and healthy community members,” Gloria stated in a press release. “San Diego is a greater city because of the action we took tonight.”
Not everyone was happy with the measure’s passing. Councilmembers Mark Kersey, Scott Sherman and Lorie Zapf all dissented, and Mayor Kevin Faulconer released a statement confirming his disapproval of the measure.
10 News reported that Channelle Hawken, spokesperson for the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, said many chamber members will be raising prices and cutting jobs as a result of the increase. She also said that many of the members see it as a larger concern than healthcare expenses, and that nearly 15 percent of their membership are considering moving out of the region.
Chamber CEO Jerry Sanders also criticized the vote in a statement released following the council’s actions.
“Raising San Diego’s minimum wage and sick leave above and beyond what the state has already mandated puts San Diego at a competitive disadvantage compared to nearby cities,” Sanders stated, adding that the Chamber will be discussing options with local businesses and deciding a course of action to further oppose the measure going forward.
On Wednesday, one day after the council vote, Gloria held a press conference to discuss the next steps of the ordinance, including enforcement. In his opening comments, he quickly defended the cost of enforcing the wage increase, comparing the code’s annual projected enforcement cost of $682,000 with the $1.89 million recently budgeted to enforce the oversize vehicle ordinance.
Gloria said further talks regarding specifics on how to enforce the new law going forward were expected in September.
“It remains my hope that the folks who stood in opposition to this common sense, reasonable compromise measure last night will join us in discussions instead of spending time wasting money further fighting our efforts to strengthen San Diego’s workforce,” Gloria said. “Yesterday’s action was the result of six months of a very concentrated efforts, research, negotiations, civil dialogue and compromise, and it demonstrated what this city is capable of addressing.”
