Minimum wage increases $1 an hour in San Diego

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) — The minimum wage in San Diego is increased by $1 an hour Sunday — the first day of 2017 — to $11.50. 

The pay hike is the result of the City Council’s passage of an ordinance that scheduled a series of increases and mandated up to five days of sick leave each year. The law was ratified by voters in June.

The ordinance applies to all industries and businesses, so there are no exceptions, according to the city. Tips and gratuities do not count toward payment of minimum wage. Future increases will be tied to the Consumer Price Index beginning Jan. 1, 2019. In the future, if the state’s minimum wage goes above the city’s, the higher pay rate will prevail.

Future increases will be tied to the Consumer Price Index beginning Jan. 1, 2019. In the future, if the state’s minimum wage goes above the city’s, the higher pay rate will prevail.

California’s minimum wage is currently $10 an hour, so it currently doesn’t apply in San Diego. It will rise 50 cents on Sunday for businesses outside San Diego — and other localities with higher minimum wages — with 26 or more employees. Establishments with 25 or less workers have until 2018 to comply.

Employers are also required to download and post updated notices about the minimum wage law at all workplaces and job sites.

"Today, more than a million hard working San Diegans and Californians began receiving a pay raise that increases their ability to make ends meet for themselves and their families,” said Assemblyman Todd Gloria, D-San Diego.

"With this investment in our workforce, we have taken a meaningful step toward the principle that those who work full-time should not live in poverty."

Gloria spearheaded the effort to pass the ordinance last year when he was on the City Council.

"While there is still much more work to do, I am proud of our progress," Gloria said. "I will continue to work in the state assembly to improve the quality of life for working families and ensure our state continues to provide opportunities for all workers to prosper."