Topline:
Should construction workers on mid-sized Los Angeles apartment buildings earn at least $32.35 per hour? The L.A. City Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on whether to order a study of a proposed new industry-specific minimum wage.
The details: In late September, council members put forward a motion outlining a potential newminimum wage that would apply to construction workers on any housing project with 10 or more units and a height of up to 85 feet. They proposed a $32.35 per hour wage that would also come with an additional $7.65 per hour in healthcare credits. Any project already covered by labor agreements providing higher wages or union staffing would be exempt, according to the motion.
The vote: Tuesday’s vote, if passed, would instruct the city’s chief legislative analyst to carry out a study on setting a new residential construction minimum wage and its potential impacts. The study would not be required to use $32.35 per hour among its final recommendations.
The study would need to include information on the wages workers currently need to afford housing and healthcare in L.A., as well as strategies the city could use to minimize any potential negative outcomes from establishing a new minimum wage for mid-sized apartment building construction…