On Monday, a proposal to increase the minimum wage for Oakland County employees to $15 per hour was approved by members of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners' Legislative Affairs and Government Operations Committee. The measure was approved 4-1 and now advances to the full board for consideration.
"If you work full-time, you shouldn't live in poverty," said Commissioner Angela Powell (D-Pontiac), the sponsor of the original proposal. "We are leading by example."
The proposal, which was first introduced by board Democrats in May 2019, will raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour for all full-time employees, and part-time workers doing the same work. It is estimated that the proposal positively impacts 230 positions in the county workforce.
"Raising wages for workers who are at the bottom rung of the economic ladder has long been a priority for us," said Chairman David T. Woodward (D-Royal Oak), who also has held leadership roles in the last two efforts that raised Michigan's minimum wage. "We believe economic opportunity should be afforded to everyone who works. It's not just the right thing to do, it the moral thing to do."
The $15 minimum wage policy will go into effect in October 2019. Woodward plans to have the full board vote on the proposal at their next meeting today.
For aditional information about the Board of Commissioners, visit www.oakgov.com/boc or call 248-858-0100.
Published: Wed, Sep 25, 2019
