Milwaukie's $15 Minimum Wage for City Workers is Great, but No One Gets a Raise Right Now

Portland Mercury:

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Milwaukie City Council on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution to increase the minimum wage to $15 for all city workers, which is great, except no one actually gets a raise as a result.

Don't get me wrong, symbolically it's great. The city approved increases for all workers—including part-time, contract, a seasonal ones. The only thing is, there's no one making less than $15 right now.

"The resolution affects the pay of our seasonal employees," says Grady Wheeler, Milwaukie's public affairs coordinator. "This past summer our four seasonal employees were making $13.85. Next year, the seasonal folks will earn $15."

He added that any interns hired from now on will also get $15 per hour, so all-in-all, it's a victory for the $15 per hour movement.

Justin Norton-Kertson, a leader in the 15NowPDX group, says Milwaukie's decision bests Portland's current situation.

"Unlike a similar raise wage to $15 implemented by the City of Portland earlier this year, the resolution in Milwaukie includes part-time and seasonal employees, as well as interns, setting a new bar for $15 in cities and counties here in Oregon," he says. "The City of Milwaukie is the first locality outside of Multnomah County to take a stand and actively pass a $15 minimum wage for its workers."

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