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What I’ve Been Reading This Week


I came across a couple articles this week in relation to hourly pay that I want to bring to the attention of readers.  In regard to the first article, even for those readers that are not in California (or do not deal with California employment matters), it is still worth paging through this article for an in depth dialogue on the benefits/drawbacks of pinning wage hikes to rising inflation rates.

As always, below are a couple articles that caught my eye this week.


Potential $15.50/Hour Wage Rate in California: Good or Bad?

It is widely expected the the statewide hourly minimum wage rate in California will rise to $15.50/hour in January, triggered in part because of rising inflation.  (Currently, employers with at least 25 workers must pay at least $15/hour.  Employers with less than 25 workers must pay at least $14/hour.  By 2023, all employers will be required to pay their workers at least $15/hour.  However, there is a trigger for a quicker wage hike in the event that inflation rise above 7%.)  The San Diego Union Tribune recently conducted a round table to address whether this potential wage hike will be a benefit or burden to employers and employees alike in the state.  I encourage readers to page through this article for a more in depth discussion of the matter.


Apple to Raise Retail Pay to $22/Hour

Earlier this week, it was announced that Apple would raise the hourly pay rate for its retail workers to at least $22/hour, up from $20/hour.  Readers will likely recall that there have been several recent actions taken by Apple retail workers to unionize.  Part of those unionization efforts have focused on a desire for increased pay.  Will Apple’s move to boost hourly wages for its retail workers curb those unionization efforts?  Probably not, but it might at least slow that unionization momentum just a bit.

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What I’ve Been Reading This Week

A few years ago, I remember when the “Fight for $15” movement was taking off around the country.  Lo and behold, it appears that a $15/hour minimum wage is not the stopping point, which should be no surprise.  As the below article notes, New York is aggressively moving to ramp up hourly wage rates even higher.  While all the  below articles are worth a read, I called particular attention to that one. As always, below are a couple article that caught my eye this week. Disney World Workers Reject Latest Contract Offer Late last week, it was announced that workers at Disney World had rejected the most recent contract offer from the company, calling on their employer to do better.  As Brooks Barnes at The New York Times writes, the unions that represent about 32,000 workers at Disney World reported their members resoundingly rejected the 5 year contract offer which would have seen workers receive a 10% raise and retroactive increased back pay.  While Disney’s offer would have increased pa
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