
In 3-2 Vote, L.A. Rejects Exemptions to New Minimum Wage
Two members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors who wanted to exempt some employers from a minimum wage hike lost their battle on Tuesday.

Two members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors who wanted to exempt some employers from a minimum wage hike lost their battle on Tuesday.

Vice President Joe Biden paid a visit to a Bay Area-based medical equipment company to discuss health care on Thursday, wrapping up a visit this week to the West Coast.

Sacramento restaurants solved the problem of increased labor costs inflicted on them from California’s new minimum wage increase by taking a slice of waiters and waitresses tips.

Labor leaders, who insisted for most of the last year that no exemptions should be allowed when instituting a minimum wage hike for the City of Los Angeles, have changed their tune now that the Los Angeles City Council approved the hike to $15 last week, asserting that companies whose employees are unionized should be exempted from the forced wage hike.

On Wednesday, a Los Angeles City Council committee, determined to expedite the process of driving businesses out of state, endorsed a proposal raising the citywide minimum wage from its current $9 an hour to $15 an hour by 2020.

While Fresno County is suffering from high unemployment–11.6 percent in February 2015, and 12.0 percent in January 2015–Fresno workers have joined the Fight for $15, a national campaign to raise wages and set the minimum wage to $15.