ANN ARBOR – On Wednesday evening, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution establishing a $15/hour minimum wage for all Washtenaw County government employees in regular, full-time positions.
“In Washtenaw County, we firmly believe in paying employees at least a $15 minimum wage,” Jason Morgan, Washtenaw County Commissioner for District 8 said in a statement.
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“This resolution is about making a clear policy statement and sending a message. We want to lead by example and encourage area businesses, nonprofits, and other units of local governments to pay their staff a living wage. People who work at least 40 hours a week should not be living in poverty.”
The change will impact a small portion of the county’s current workforce, since the majority of government employees in Washtenaw County make over $15 an hour. Some seasonal employees and others who fall under non-regular job classifications will continue to make less than this.
“Giving the assurance to our current and future employees that they will be paid at least $15 an hour is an important first step,” Sue Shink, Chair of the Board of Commissioners and Commissioner for District 2 said in a statement.
“We also know that $15 an hour is often not enough for families in our community to make ends meet, so we must continue working to change the system and support residents to further disrupt generational poverty.”
To see the full list of Washtenaw County Commissioners by district, click here.