The push to make Minneapolis' minimum wage one of the highest in the nation is ramping up, as advocates rally this weekend with the leader of Seattle's successful $15 minimum wage campaign.
Seattle City Council Member Kshama Sawant will headline an event Sunday organized by the group 15 Now, which has been gathering support for a $15 citywide minimum wage in Minneapolis. The rally and fundraiser will feature at least two members of the Minneapolis City Council who say they are supportive of creating a living wage but not yet ready to throw their support behind a specific dollar amount.
As advocates seize on momentum from the handful of other cities that have recently bumped up their wages, officials are also keeping an eye on legal battles brewing over wage increases passed in other cities. Officials say it's possible such a move in Minneapolis could spark a court challenge, though the uncertainty doesn't seem to be holding up the movement.
"It's not a matter of whether or not to do it," said Council Member Alondra Cano, who plans to speak at Sunday's event along with Council Member Jacob Frey. "It's how we get to the yes. Building the process, engaging the stakeholders, getting the information. And most of all, following the community's lead."
Ty Moore, a national organizer with 15 Now, said his group believes Minneapolis is a prime spot for a big move on the minimum wage. He pointed to the city's progressive political leanings, which it shares with Seattle and San Francisco, another city that recently approved a wage increase.
Organizers haven't yet drawn up a specific proposal, but he said they want to continue to apply pressure to political leaders and see progress within the year. Moore said Minneapolis' well-documented problems with racial inequalities in wealth, housing and other measures mean the city should act quickly.
"Our slogan is 15 Now and that's not by coincidence," he said. "We don't think workers should be asked to wait for the slow grind of the political process. We think there's an emergency of low wages."
A new statewide minimum wage law that took effect last year will boost wages for employees of large companies to $9.50 per hour by 2016. The pay rate for smaller companies is less, increasing to $7.75 per hour next year.