Minimum wage increase for city workers the right decision

To put it simply, I am in full support of the administration’s proposal to raise the minimum wage for all city workers to $15 an hour. This action is long overdue for city workers, and will allow us as an employer to remain competitive, and both attract and retain talented individuals in the future.

I’ve long been a champion of increasing minimum wages, and helped push for one of downtown’s most dynamic new companies, Milwaukee Tool, to pay their workers $15 an hour, while also championing a raise for our Earn and Learn participants. This summer, thanks to Council-led action, youth working in that program will not earn the state minimum wage of $7.25 per hour as has been the typical standard,  but instead they will earn at least $11.65 per hour.

The benefits of this decision are crystal clear. This wage increase will impact hundreds of employees, 66% of which call Milwaukee home. This will provide them a living wage, help them to lead more stable lives, purchase homes, contribute to our local economy, and continue to stabilize their neighborhoods, which will uplift our community as a whole.

I look forward to discussing this issue in more detail in the coming weeks as we continue to support workers citywide.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.