New $15 minimum wage will take effect for full-time employees in May
To provide a livable wage to all the City’s full-time employees the Phoenix City Council, under the leadership of newly-elected Mayor Kate Gallego, raised employee minimum wage to $15 an hour at its April 3 Formal Meeting.
“I am proud that in my first City Council meeting as Mayor, my colleagues and I took concrete action to show our support for employees by providing them a true living wage that will make a real difference in their day-to-day lives,” said Mayor Kate Gallego. “The City of Phoenix is proud to have incredible employees who work hard to improve our community every day, and we must take the necessary steps to ensure that they are paid what they deserve. This will benefit our working families, young employees just beginning their careers who have dedicated themselves to public service, and for every employee who works hard and deserves a livable wage.”
The recommendation, passed by a unanimous vote of the City Council, positions the City to better compete for talent in a competitive job market and ensures that people who provide frontline customer support in a variety of roles in the organization are compensated fairly.
“Phoenix City Council’s unanimous action yesterday to guarantee a $15 minimum wage for our employees was a huge win for working families,” said District 5 Councilwoman Vania Guevara. “It’s exciting to see our City leading by example, making sure our employees are paid a wage that allows them to provide for their families, save for the future, and invest in themselves and their community.”
The change in the minimum wage grew out of a collaborative discussion between city leadership and one of the City’s employee labor groups, LiUNA Local 777. LiUNA represents city employees in Unit 1, holding unskilled and semi-skilled positions. Applied to all employees, the increase would also affect positions represented by Unit 2 (trades workers) and Unit 3 (clerical workers) across the organization.
“Raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour for the men and women who work at the City of Phoenix is life changing. These employees work tirelessly each day for the community and deserve to be paid a livable wage,” said Jennifer Grondahl, Secretary, LiUNA Local 777.
“We are thrilled with the Mayor and Council’s unanimous vote for a $15 an hour minimum wage at the city. It truly shows the dedication of Mayor Gallego and the City Council in making sure Phoenix is a leader among cities to establish a living wage for all,” said Frank Piccioli, President AFSCME Local 2960
“This is a step in the right direction in ensuring we offer our employees proper livable wages,” said District 7 Councilman Michael Nowakowski. “To be the best city we can, we must not only provide the best services for our community but also pay our employees fair living wages for the work they do.”
The state minimum wage in Arizona is currently set at $11 per hour and applied to Phoenix employees before the new Council action took effect.
