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.
Both supporters and opponents linked the wage debate to the 2028 Summer Olympics. Labor groups said they want higher pay in place so working-class residents can benefit from increased tourism and revenue. Opponents countered that the mandate could undermine the city’s readiness. An alliance of airlines and hoteliers opposing the city’s earlier wage ordinance said the rule would risk job losses, pressure hotel finances, reduce needed tax revenue, and leave the city less prepared for the 2028 Games. The group has not taken a position on the county proposal.
At a gathering outside the L.A. County Hall of Administration, organizers said low-wage workers are facing an economic crisis driven by high housing costs. Citing U.S. Census and Zillow data, the coalition said nearly 75% of restaurant workers in the region spend more than half their income on rent. Estuardo Mazariegos, co-director of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) in Los Angeles, said many residents must choose between rent, food, and savings.
If approved, the $30 wage would become the highest minimum wage in the country. Several cities in Washington State, including Seattle, currently exceed $20 an hour. California’s statewide minimum wage is $17, more than double the federal minimum of $7.25.
A pollster working with Democrats said 64% of surveyed LA voters viewed the minimum wage as a “medium to high” priority. In the same poll, 58% supported a $30 wage, 26% opposed it, and 16% were undecided.
BY YEOL JANG [jang.yeol@koreadaily.com]
