San Jose Votes For $10 Minimum Wage

Minimum wage workers in San Jose are about to get a raise. Voters in the city agreed to increase the minimum wage from $8 to $10.

Biz Journals reports that Measure D saw strong arguments on both sides.

The San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, the California Restaurant Association and the San Jose Downtown Association argued against the measure saying that increasing the minimum wage would force layoffs and would make it harder for businesses to grow.

Proponents for the measure, like the South Bay Labor Council, United Way Silicon Valley and Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County argued that workers needed a raise in order to live in an increasingly expensive tech driven community. The $10 minimum wage in San Jose will also decrease employee turnover and increase productivity, according to proponents of the measure.

Stacey Hendler Ross, spokeswoman for the South Bay AFL-CIO Council, said:

“We’re thrilled … We always thought San Jose voters would know the right thing to do.”

According to the LA Times the state of California currently has its minimum wage set at $8. San Jose is now the second municipality in the state to set its own minimum wage. San Francisco’s minimum wage is currently set at $10.24. It will increase to $10.55 in January.