Last week city council President Johnathan Austin said council has done that in the past and this was no different.
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The council supported a move Tuesday that will allow city administration to pay contract and seasonal employees (excluding Coliseum workers) a minimum of $10 an hour.
City Councilman Jamal Fox said this increase is the first step in getting the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020. “They invest more into our community they want to do more and that’s what we want”. That garnered praise from Rep. Darrio Melton, D-Selma, who said he plans to continue pushing to pass legislation establishing a state hourly minimum wage of $10.10.
The city’s wage floor – now the federal requirement of $7.25 an hour – would increase to $8.50 in July 2016 and again to $10.10 in July 2017.
“We’re just trying to do what we think is best for our citizens and our workers”, he said.
Birmingham Business Alliance spokeswoman Lauren Cooper said in an email that the group hasn’t taken a position on the issue and the BBA’s public policy and executive committee hadn’t fully reviewed the ordinance as of Tuesday evening.
Birmingham City Council members could soon see a lawsuit hitting their desks.
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“We can’t have a progressive city and low-wage jobs”, she said.
