DETROIT – Wednesday (Feb. 9), Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced a plan to raise the minimum wage for Detroit city workers to $15 an hour, and with councils approval, it’s going to go in place sooner rather than later.
The raise will impact about 270 workers, but more importantly, the city thinks this will help it retain talent that might be tempted elsewhere.
Coming out of bankruptcy, Detroit had about 1,000 employees out of 9,000 still making less than $15 an hour.
Slowly, with the help of the City Council, the city has whittled that down to 270 workers.
“These are very valuable employees,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “You think about the folks who work in the rec center. They’re watching our children every day to make them safe. You look at those folks standing out in all types of weather, moving traffic after sporting events are coming out of rush hour. Those folks are really important. They deserve to be treated In this way. You go right down the list of we’ve got the lifeguards who are protecting lives at the public pools.”
According to Mayor Duggan, about a dozen collective bargaining contracts had to be amended, but the hope is to have all employees at the $15 an hour minimum by July 1.
“Better wages will uplift families, enable the city to attract and retain better workers and stimulate the local economy,” said Councilwoman Latisha Johnson. “It’s a win for everyone.”
But it will take an extra $1.3 million annually out of the budget. A price the city says is affordable.
“I think the budget reflects our morals our values, and I think this is important to all the council members,” said City Council President Mary Sheffield.
Council still has to pass this, but it sounds promising. It should get addressed in the next few weeks and be in place by Jul. 1.
