Employers in many states and localities will see an increase in minimum wages starting July 1, 2025.
As it often does, California leads the way with a patchwork of minimum wage increases across localities and industries scheduled for this summer.
Employers, workers, and advocates have been closely following headlines regarding Los Angeles’s so-called “Olympic Wage” initiative. The legislation in question, Ordinance 188610, requires higher minimum wages, minimum health benefits, and training standards for employees of large hotels and employers servicing the Los Angeles International Airport (“LAX”). This is not the first time these industries have been singled out; however, this proposal specifically contemplates the upcoming 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.
Los Angeles’s City Council adopted the ordinance on May 23, Mayor Karen Bass signed it into law on May 27, and it was published on May 29. Opponents quickly submitted a petition for referendum, seeking to overturn the ordinance before it takes effect. In accordance with local rules, though the ordinance has been signed into law, if nearly 93,000 signatures are collected within 30 days after publication of the ordinance, it is suspended until it can be placed on a ballot for a general election in June 2026. This leaves the proposed minimum wage increases, and related measures, in flux through at least June 30, 2025.
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A federal appeals panel has again rejected False Claims Act allegations made by a former nursing home executive assistant, ruling that her case was too close in nature to one already settled. The ...