Several states are proposing ballot initiatives to increase their minimum wage and mandate paid sick time for workers. If passed, California’s Proposition 32 would establish the highest statewide minimum wage in the nation at $18 an hour. Alaska’s Measure 1 and Missouri’s Prop. A would gradually increase their minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2027 and 2026, respectively. The Alaska and Missouri proposals would also require most workers to receive paid sick time. Nebraska’s Initiative 436 would mandate paid sick time for employees of smaller companies.
In Massachusetts, opponents of Question 5 are campaigning against the proposal to phase out the state’s tipped minimum wage law. The law permits employers to pay workers less than the standard minimum wage if they make up the difference via tips. If the proposal passes, tipped workers would receive 64% of the minimum wage starting in 2025, gradually increasing to 100% in 2029. The restaurant industry has contributed roughly $1 million to the fight against the proposal.
Ruben Garcia, a labor law professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, says that voters generally approve of minimum wage boosts, but this year’s proposals go beyond just raising the minimum wage. They also aim to legislate paid sick leave. Fifteen states currently mandate paid sick time for private-sector workers, and three others require paid time off that employees can use for any reason. The Alaska and Missouri proposals would let workers sue for retaliation if they feel their employer has violated their right to paid time off, which some business groups oppose.
Overall, these proposals aim to provide better pay and benefits for workers, but they face opposition from some business groups who believe employers should be free to set their own sick leave and associated requirements for using that leave.
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