West Hollywood approves $17.64 minimum wage, highest in nation

By CBSLA Staff

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    WEST HOLLYWOOD, California (KCBS, KCAL) — The West Hollywood City Council early Thursday morning approved what will be the highest minimum wage in the nation.

In a unanimous vote just after 12 a.m., the city council unanimously approved a $17.64 minimum wage. The measure will take effect Jan. 1 for all hotel workers, and July 1 for all other workers.

It aligns the minimum wage for hotel workers to those in the cities of both Santa Monica and Los Angeles. The measure also includes 96 hours of paid sick, vacation and personal leave.

According to CNN, when it takes effect it will be the highest minimum wage for any city in the U.S. The Northern California city of Emeryville currently holds the nation’s highest minimum wage, at $17.13 per hour, CNN reports.

In the city of L.A., the minimum wage for employers with 26 or more workers currently sits at $15 per hour, and $14.25 for employers with 25 or fewer workers.

California’s statewide minimum wage is $14 per hour for employers with 26 or more employees, and $13 per hour for those with 25 or fewer.

This also comes after the West Hollywood City Council back in July approved an ordinance providing added protections and compensation to hotel workers. The ordinance allows for workers who were laid off because of the COVID-19 pandemic to get their jobs back. It also ensures that workers are paid extra when required to clean more than 3,500 square-feet during an 8-hour workday.

Earlier this year, many cities across the Southland approved “hero pay” emergency orders requiring larger grocery stores and pharmacies in to pay their workers an extra $5 an hour due to the challenges brought on by the pandemic.

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