California health care workers' minimum wage increase set to take effect Wednesday
SAN FRANCISCO -- More than 400,000 health care workers in California are expected to receive a pay raise this week, as the state increases the industry's minimum wage.
State budget issues delayed the pay boost by several months.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law last year that would gradually phase in pay increases for the lowest-paid health care workers, who will eventually earn $25 an hour.
"It's creating a minimum wage between $18-$23 per hour for various health care-related workers. And not just medical staff -- (but also) workers such as janitors, groundskeepers and cooks that work in health care facilities," said John Logan, a professor of labor and employment at San Francisco State University.
The wage increases will impact about 426,000 workers.
"My mother had a hip replacement last year. She was cared for by these workers beautifully. But, you know, they don't make much money," said Rosanne Chloupek, a Bay Area resident.
The minimum wage boost for health care workers was supposed to go into effect June 1, but it was delayed because of budget concerns. It will take effect Wednesday.
In April, fast food workers saw their minimum wage increase to $20 per hour.
"Both fast food and health care are very different industries, but employment has been growing in both of these industries, particularly in health care," Logan said.
This wage increase will help the health care industry retain and recruit workers, the professor said.
"It's a way of providing something approaching a living wage for hundreds of thousands of workers that didn't have it before," Logan said.
Some question what the higher minimum wage will do -- if it will create more jobs, or if it will mean people lose their jobs.
"It's unlikely to result in significant job losses. But it may change job patterns in other ways," Logan said.
Logan believes that the wage increases -- first for California fast food workers and now health care workers --will definitely pave the way for changes in other industries and in other states.
