On Tuesday December 17, D.C. Council took a stand for a living wage and passed the minimum wage bill, which would raise the minimum wage steadily to $11.50/hr. by 2016 and index the wage to inflation after that. The council unanimously passed the bill with a 13-0 vote on the first reading December 3. Companion legislation extends paid sick day coverage to tipped workers in the district, who were not included in the sick days bill in 2008. D.C. joins Montgomery County, who signed their minimum wage bill into law December 5, and Prince George’s County, who signed their bill into law Tuesday, in creating a regional minimum wage increase. Next stop, Mayor Vincent Gray’s desk.
