Skip to main content

Updated: Missouri & Arkansas Voters Approve Minimum Wage Hikes


Yesterday was Election Day across the country as voters in Missouri and Arkansas had their say in regard to two different minimum wage proposals on the ballot. In Missouri, Proposition B sought to raise the hourly minimum wage rate in the state from $7.85/hour up to $12/hour by 2023.  As for Arkansas, voters in the state had their say on Issue 5 which would raise the hourly wage rate from $8.50/hour up to $11/hour by 2021.  For those keeping score at home, these were the only two statewide minimum wage related matters on the ballot.

In Missouri, voters approved Proposition B with approximately 61 percent in favor of the measure.  As a result, the hourly minimum wage rate in the state will increase to $8.60/hour on January 1, 2019 and then increase $.85/hour every year until 2023 when the hourly minimum wage rate will reach $12/hour.

In Arkansas, voters approved Issue 5 with approximately 68 percent in favor of the measure.  As a result, the hourly minimum wage rate in the state will increase to $9.25/hour on January 1, 2019, $10/hour on January 1, 2020, and $11/hour on January 1, 2021.

Attention now turns to whether other states (perhaps especially those in traditionally conservative states) will seek to put similar minimum wage measures on the ballot in 2020.  If Arkansas can pass a minimum wage hike in the face of strong opposition from some Republicans, yesterday’s results are likely to embolden minimum wage advocates elsewhere around the country.  While I think we are still a ways away from a federal hourly minimum wage hike, I would expect more and more states will continue to pursue similar ballot measures (especially in states with Republican controlled legislatures which have been more resistant to approving minimum wage legislation). 


For additional information:  https://www.vox.com/2018/11/6/18064506/missouri-proposition-b-minimum-wage-results

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NLRB: Discussion Among Employees About Tip Pooling is Protected Concerted Activity

  This Advice Memorandum from the National Labor Relations Board’s Associate General Counsel, Jayme Sophir, addressed whether employees which discussed and complained about tip pooling at work constituted protected concerted activity. In relevant part, an employer in New York operated a chain of steakhouses.  While tip pooling was in place at these steakhouses, some of the employees objected to it on the grounds that it was not transparent and improperly divided tips among the workers.  Employees were told not to complain or talk to each other about the tip pool and were told that doing so would endanger their jobs.  Despite the employer later attempting to provide some clarity as to how the tips were being divided, rancor still existed among some employees.  At one point, the employees were told by a general manager that some employees that had been talking about the tip pool were “cleared out” and the employer would continue to do so. In the Advice Memorandum,...
Post a Comment
Read more

San Diego Rolls Back Vaccine Mandate For City Workers

Last Tuesday, the San Diego City Council voted to do away with the vaccine mandate for city employees. The city’s vaccine mandate that was in place required city workers to get the coronavirus vaccine or risk termination.  Perhaps to this surprise of no one, the city’s policy came under fire with 14 employees being terminated and over 100 other employees resigning.  With the coronavirus subsiding, including in Southern California, the San Diego City Council took action. Now, bear in mind, the repeal of the vaccine mandate does not take place immediately. With that being said, the mandate will be repealed March 8th.  I suppose the question now is, what other cities or regions follow San Diego’s lead? For additional information:   https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2023-01-24/san-diego-repeals-controversial-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-citing-drop-in-cases-hospitalizations
Post a Comment
Read more

NLRB: Former Employee Cannot Be Barred From Work Premises After Filing Wage Suit

MEI-GSR Holdings, LLC - NLRB Facts :  MEI-GSR Holdings, LLC d/b/a Grand Sierra Resort & Casino ("GSR") operated a facility that included a hotel, casino, restaurant, clubs, bars, and a pool which were all open to the general public.  Tiffany Sargent ("Sargent") was briefly employed by GSR as a "beverage supervisor" in December of 2012.  After her employment ended, Sargent continued to socialize at one of the clubs.  GSR had a long standing practice of allowing former employees to patronize its facility and did not prohibit Sargent from doing so.  In June of 2013, Sargent and another employee filed a class and collective action against GSR for alleged unpaid wages, in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act and Nevada law.  In July of 2014, GSR denied Sargent access to an event at one of the clubs.  GSR followed up with a letter and stated that with the on-going litigation (from the wage suit), it decided to bar Sargent from the premises. ...
1 comment
Read more