Mayor Kenney signs 2 bills: $15/hr minimum wage for workers, fair work week
CENTER CITY (WPVI) -- Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney signed two bills on Thursday, one gradually raising the minimum wage for city workers to $15 per hour and the other ensuring employees will know when and how much they will work.
All City workers, contractors, and subcontractors will earn a minimum wage of $15 per hour by 2022.
"While Mayor Kenney supports a $15 minimum wage for all workers, both in and outside of government, the City does not have the legislative authority to do that. But with this new measure, the City is doing what it can to support workers, leading by example and fostering a citywide culture of attaching value to work," the Office of the Mayor says.
The 21st Century Minimum Wage law takes effect on July 1, 2019.
The Office of the Mayor says it phases in over four years, resulting in a $15 minimum on July 1, 2022, allowing contractors and subcontractors time to gradually adjust to the new rate schedule.
The current rate of $12.20 an hour will rise under the following schedule:
$13.25 / hour as of July 1, 2019
$13.75 / hour as of July 1, 2020
$14.25 / hour as of July 1, 2021
$15.00 / hour as of July 1, 2022
The minimum wage standard will continue to rise based on annual consumer price index adjustments once it hits $15 / hour.
"This affects all Philadelphia municipal government workers, contractors, and subcontractors. Generally speaking, if a position is funded by City dollars, it probably falls under this law," the Office of the Mayor says.
Meanwhile, the Fair Work Week bill, introduced by Councilwoman Helen Gym, was passed by City Council earlier this month.
The legislation will affect about 130,000 hourly workers in the retail, food service, and hospitality sectors.
New provisions include advance notice of schedules, a pathway to access more hours of work, compensation for last-minute schedule changes, and protection from retaliation.
-----
Send a News Tip to Action News
Learn More About 6abc Apps
