The city of L.A. is getting closer to raising the city’s minimum wage from $9 to $15 an hour. A city council committee approved the increase on Wednesday, and the full city council is expected to vote on it next week.
“For the restaurant business, it’s going to be detrimental,” George Abou-Daoud, owner of Bowery Street Enterprises told Press Play. He said restaurants in LA support a wage increase, but would like to see the “total compensation model” used. This means that non-tipped employees would get the minimum wage, but for those who do get tips, they would be included toward the minimum wage.
However, Spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, Elizabeth Brennan said that the minimum wage is the only way to ensure a fair wage.
“How do we lift people out of poverty?” she asked.
It’s a challenging question: Is the minimum wage increase that’s fair to business-owners and employees alike?