Liberal and left-leaning labor groups in Los Angeles are advancing a new effort to set a $30-an-hour minimum wage by 2030, following recent local wage hikes and energized by favorable polling and electoral results according to the Los Angeles Times. The coalition wants the L.A. County Board of Supervisors to consider a mandate covering employers in unincorporated county areas, phased in over roughly five years. The increase would represent a major jump from the current $17.28 minimum.
The proposal follows the Los Angeles City Council’s move in May to raise wages for hotel and airport workers to $30 by 2028. That ordinance survived an attempted ballot challenge after a coalition of hotel and business groups failed to collect enough signatures by a September deadline. Labor organizers say the new county plan mirrors that earlier effort.
The Living Wage for All Coalition said it is also preparing campaigns in San Francisco and Alameda counties. New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani plans to pursue a similar minimum-wage level after taking office on January 1.
Business groups argue that a $30 wage would force employers to reduce staffing and raise prices, hitting restaurants and other narrow-margin businesses hardest. Some warn that higher labor costs could accelerate closures…