In summary
California's minimum wage law, which has been delayed due to budget issues, is scheduled to go into effect on October 16, and is expected to benefit hundreds of thousands of workers.
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California health care workers will finally get a long-promised minimum wage increase this month.
A letter from state health officials to Congress today explains the process that will trigger the pay increase, which is expected to begin this month.
“The minimum wage increase for health care providers shall become effective on October 16, 2024, 15 days after the date of this notice, unless a later effective date is specified,” California Department of Health Care Services Director. Michelle Barth writes. letter.
The state Department of Industrial Relations confirmed the effective date on its website today.
Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 525, a law that gradually increases pay for the state's lowest-paid health care workers to $25 an hour over several years.
The law was originally scheduled to take effect June 1, but Newsom asked lawmakers to delay it, citing concerns about the state budget. The law is expected to cost the state $1.4 billion in the first six months of implementation, according to Treasury Department estimates earlier this year.
The deal Newsom struck to delay wage increases had an unclear start date. It stipulated that the increase could begin between October 15th and January 1st. The implementation date depends on whether the state brings in at least 3% more tax revenue than the administration expected or if the state begins collecting data to secure federal funding. It helps offset some of the costs associated with the law.
A letter from the Department of Health Services informs Parliament that the latter is now in force.
Some employers have met the original June 1 deadline and have already increased pay. But most workers are patient.
Health workers, who stand to benefit from the law, welcomed the news that the pay rise would begin.
“We deserve this. We deserve recognition. We deserve more than the paycheck we're getting,” said Yvonne Martinez, a housekeeper at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto. Ta.
She's been doing this job for 14 years and currently makes just over $20 an hour. The job is physically demanding, cleaning restrooms, disinfecting surfaces, changing linens and taking out trash, but it's also mentally and emotionally draining, she said.
She lives paycheck to paycheck, and many of her colleagues work two jobs to make ends meet. Their work is essential, she says, but often not recognized for a living wage.
As designed, the minimum wage increase is not supposed to happen all at once. Depending on the type of facility they work in, workers will take years to reach $25 an hour, but some will get there faster than others.
For example, employees at large hospital systems would see their wages increase to $23 an hour. But workers at rural hospitals and so-called safety-net hospitals will start at $18. The Department of Industrial Relations lists pay scales for each type of employer covered by the law. Some workers won't reach $25 until 2033.
The legislation was authored by Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles, and sponsored by the labor union SEIU California.
“Nursing assistants, medical assistants, clinic staff, hospital janitors and other essential healthcare workers unite as patient care suffers from staffing shortages due to low wages, exacerbated by the impact of COVID-19. and tackled this crisis head-on,” Durazo said in the paper. Written statement today. She credited the changes not only to workers, but also to employers and governors who worked hard to raise wages.
About 426,000 workers are expected to benefit from the law, according to estimates from the UC Berkeley Labor Center. This includes medical assistants, front office staff, medical billing personnel, patient technicians, cleaning staff, food service workers, and more.
Newsom's minimum wage increase for health care workers is the state's second for a specific industry. In April, fast food workers began earning $20 an hour. California's minimum wage is $16 per hour for all other workers.
Supported by the California Healthcare Foundation (CHCF). The foundation works to ensure people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at an affordable price. For more information, please visit www.chcf.org.
