The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a minimum wage of $16.50 per hour for unincorporated areas of the county effective April 1. The new ordinance will bring unincorporated areas in line with cities throughout the county, although some, such as Pacifica, have not established a minimum wage and remain subject to state rules.
The new law also requires an annual increase in the minimum wage beginning at the start of 2024. The increase will be equal to whichever is lower, 3.5 percent or the annual adjustment to the consumer price index for urban wage earners as determined by the U.S. Labor Department.
The new rules exempt employees of a business represented by a collective bargaining unit working under a contract that predates or explicitly waives the county ordinance. Union workers typically receive compensation well above local minimums.
Beginning on Jan. 1 the California minimum wage will increase to $15.50 per hour for employees of all businesses. In Half Moon Bay the minimum will increase to $16.45 in 2023. Several other Bay Area cities also have minimum wage levels higher than the state. The Mountain View rate goes up to $18.15 at the start of the year.
Local business owners who spoke to the Tribune did not express concern about the pending increase.
Mike Wagner, owner of Seville Tapas in Pillar Point Harbor, said that if he paid minimum wage no one would be working for him. “I’m paying people $20 and $25 and still have trouble getting enough...
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