The minimum wage could increase to $15 per hour for about 270 Detroit municipal employees under a plan expected to be presented in the coming weeks to the City Council.
Pending approval by the Council, the workers' pay would go up starting July 1, Mayor Mike Duggan and Councilwoman Latisha Johnson told reporters Wednesday.
Detroit has about 9,000 municipal workers on its payroll. The bump up for the 270 employees currently making less than $15 per hour would cost the city about $1.3 million annually.
“This amount is a small price to pay for the many benefits that will accrue to our community,” said Johnson, who chairs the City Council's internal operations committee. "This is certainly a step in the right direction for Detroiters to obtain a living wage within these various positions, with growth opportunities that can help achieve greater financial stability.”
Duggan said some of those jobs are play leaders at city recreation centers, civilian traffic controllers and lifeguards.
“These are very valuable employees,” he added. “You think about the folks working at the rec centers, they are watching our children every day to make them safe. You look at those folks standing out in all weather moving traffic after sports events or coming out of rush hour, those folks are really important."
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