More Groups Are Winning the $15 Minimum Wage

In Los Angeles County, there has been a wave of victories for various groups who have campaigned for a $15 minimum wage. Recently, the city of Los Angeles approved a $15/hr hour wage for the hospitality industry within the city, most prominently, in hotels. LAX workers’ wages followed at the same rate. Now, the Los Angeles Unified School District joins the list.

It was not the teachers union, however, that received the hike. It was the district’s lowest-paid employees who will see the boost to $15 an hour, including, teaching assistants, cafeteria workers, custodians, and more.

The “raise the wage” fight has been rebranded into the “Fight for 15” Campaign. It is gaining significant traction and seeing results in larger, more diverse cities, where the cost of living has increased exponentially over the years.

LAUSD Superintendent, John Deasy, spoke enthusiastically about the $15 minimum wage for the schools, commenting that while “philosophically easy” even if it was “financially difficult.” He added that LAUSD was ensuring that “parents are not remaining in poverty.”

The $15/hr will take effect on July 1, 2016, following a $13/hr minimum next year. Currently, the minimum rose from $8/hr to $11/hr last week, in response to California’s statewide minimum wage hike.