In summary
A last-minute legislative deal would raise pay for California health care workers while giving medical providers a guarantee that they won’t have to battle local measures on employee compensation.
Tens of thousands of California health care workers stand to see their minimum wage climb to $25 an hour over the next several years in an amended legislative proposal that has support from both labor groups and employers.
The new deal gives workers the assurance of rising wages while offering an incentive to their employers: A 10-year moratorium on local measures that aim to increase compensation for medical workers.
That’s valuable to hospitals and other medical employers after voters in Inglewood last year passed a measure setting a $25 minimum wage for health care workers in the city.
The terms are laid out in Senate Bill 525, a measure by Democratic Sen. Maria Elena Durazo of Los Angeles, which was amended Monday afternoon to reflect four different schedules that would eventually set a $25 minimum across the health care industry.
The deal came together late in the legislative session. It must pass the Legislature this week to reach Gov. Gavin Newsom and become law.
“As amended today, SB 525 strikes the right balance between significantly improving wages while protecting jobs and safeguarding care at community hospitals throughout the state, ” said Carmela Coyle, president of the California Hospital Association.
“The agreement also ensures that wages for health...
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