California to Raise Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour, Highest in the Nation

A political deal to raise California’s minimum wage to a nation-leading $15 an hour could help some workers cope with the state’s crushing cost of living but also deprive other low-wage earners of jobs altogether, economists said as Gov. Jerry Brown and other leaders touted what would be a landmark agreement.
California to Raise Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour, Highest in the Nation
Labor leaders, workers, and activists attend a rally for a $15 minimum hourly wage in New York City on July 22, 2015. Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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SACRAMENTO, Calif.—A political deal to raise California’s minimum wage to a nation-leading $15 an hour could help some workers cope with the state’s crushing cost of living but also deprive other low-wage earners of jobs altogether, economists said as Gov. Jerry Brown and other leaders touted what would be a landmark agreement.

California’s economy is larger than that of most countries, with a wide diversity of earners. While newly minted millionaires gentrify neighborhoods in the San Francisco Bay Area, some Central Valley field hands lack access to clean water. A jump from the current $10 an hour spread over six years would affect millions.

Rafael Gutierrez, a 53-year-old farmworker, said the increase would let him treat his family to weekend dinners out and a short vacation to Disneyland from his home in Fresno County.

His last job picking peaches and grapes paid $11 an hour. His girlfriend makes $14 an hour at Target. Though their region is far from California’s costliest, “Right now, we’re just making it,” Gutierrez said. “Life is expensive.”

It's going to be devastating
Chuck Herrin, owner , Sunrise Farm Labor