Californians to Vote on Raising Minimum Wage This November. What Are the Potential Impacts?

California Insider

In November, California voters will decide on a new minimum wage increase. It’s one of the ten ballot measures and could raise the current minimum wage from $16 to $18 an hour. Join us as we delve into what it means for Californians.

“Just since the minimum wage increase that went into effect for fast food employees, we have seen 98% of them raise prices since April here in California. 89% have had to scale back hours or benefits for their workers, and 70% have had to make cuts. Who doesn’t want a few extra dollars in their pocket, right? But we ask, with a minimum wage increase, at what cost? At what price?” says John Kabateck.

To understand the impact of Prop 32, we sit down with We also sit down with Mr. Kabateck, California State Director of NFIB, which represents 14,000 small businesses in the state. He'll share his concerns about the impact of Proposition 32. Saru Jayaraman, president of One Fair Wage, a leading advocacy group for service workers, and the director of the Food Labor Research Center at the University of California–Berkeley.

“One in three Californians lives and works in poverty. The cheapest county in the state of California is Modoc County. In Modoc County, one person with no children needs over $20 an hour just to cover the very basics like rent, food, and transportation,” says Ms. Jayaraman.

*Views expressed in this video/article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of California Insider.