July 18, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

Mayor Eric Garcetti Signs Minimum Wage Into Law

With the mayor's signature, the city, with 3.8 million residents, becomes the biggest in the country with a $15 minimum wage ordinance, though the first increase to $10.50 per hour is not set to take place until July 2016.
With the mayor’s signature, the city, with 3.8 million residents,
becomes the biggest in the country with a $15 minimum wage ordinance, though
the first increase to $10.50 per hour is not set to take place until July 2016.

Mayor Eric Garcetti signed into law today a measure
that raises the minimum wage in Los Angeles to $15 per hour by 2020 for hundreds of thousands of workers.

With the mayor’s signature, the city, with 3.8 million residents, becomes the biggest in the country with a $15 minimum wage ordinance, though the first increase to $10.50 per hour is not set to take place until July 2016.

Garcetti — along with labor leaders, city council members and other supporters of the measure — held a signing ceremony at Martin Luther King Jr. Park, where he officially announced last Labor Day that he wanted to raise the minimum wage to $13.25 per hour.

“I’m ecstatic. I mean, this was a coalition of business, labor, community, religious leaders,” Garcetti told ABC7. “It took everybody coming together but we did it in less than a year and I think it’s going to inspire the country to follow suit.”

Garcetti said last week that with the City Council’s adoption of the ordinance, “the minimum wage will no longer be a poverty wage in Los Angeles.

The council voted 12-1 Wednesday to give final approval to the wage hike ordinance, with Councilman Mitchell Englander casting the dissenting vote.

Under the ordinance, the city minimum wage will increase to $10.50 per hour in July 2016 for businesses with 26 or more employees, with a one-year delay for smaller businesses. By 2016, the state minimum wage will have risen to $10 per hour.

The wage will then go up to $12 an hour by July 2017, $13.25 per hour by July 2018, $14.25 per hour by July 2019 and ultimately to $15 by July 2020.

Businesses with 25 or fewer employees will start raising their wages one year later and have until 2021 to reach the $15-an-hour mark.

Once the wage reaches $15 per hour for both small and large employers, the ordinance calls for the minimum wage in 2022 to continue increasing based on the cost of living.

City officials are still considering possible amendments to the wage law, such as a proposed exemption from the $15 minimum wage for workers covered under collective bargaining agreements.

Labor leaders who led the campaign to raise the minimum wage are pushing for inclusion of the exemption from the wage for their own union members.They say the provision is a “standard” part of wage laws in many other cities, including San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and San Diego, and contend the provision is aimed at respecting existing collective bargaining agreements, as well as giving employers and workers wiggle room to reach the best labor agreement for both sides.

However, business leaders who had opposed the wage increase say the same people who wanted the minimum wage hike in Los Angeles now want to their own union members to be given a “sub-minimum” wage. They pointed to Seattle’s $15 minimum wage law, which does not have an exemption for unionized workers.

The council may also consider a motion by Councilman Mitch O’Farrell that calls for an exemption for employers with 50 or fewer workers “that provide their employees benefit packages that are equal to or exceed the citywide minimum wage.”

The City Council is also expected to consider including a requirement for employers to provide paid leave to workers, and a provision that would require  employers to pass service charges on to the employee who performs the task.

Homeboy Industries, a group that runs transitional employment programs, also is urging the City Council to give it a reprieve from the city wage over the 18-month duration of its program.

Members of the council additionally are looking for more clarity on what constitutes an employee in Los Angeles.

The ordinance defines an employee as someone who works at least two hours within Los Angeles city limits, which means businesses located outside the city could potentially be paying the higher wages for hours their employees work within Los Angeles.

in News
Related Posts

Man Arrested in Brentwood for Impersonating Firefighter During Palisades Fire

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

The suspect faces at least 28 criminal counts—including 23 felonies—spanning incidents from 2023 to May 2025 Federal and local law...

Study Highlights Economic Impact of Cap-and-Trade Extension in Los Angeles

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders are pushing to reauthorize the program this year, citing its role in generating 287,000...

Nearly $1B Secured for Refinancing of Westfield Century City Mall

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

The proceeds will replace a $925 million commercial mortgage-backed securities loan, originally issued by Morgan Stanley in 2023 and due...

West Coast Premiere of ‘The Opposite of Love’ Opens at Hudson Backstage Theatre

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

Produced by Neil Gooding Productions, behind shows like Back to the Future: The Musical, the play runs Thursdays through Saturdays...

Tesla Seen Nearly Crashing into West LA Home After Collision

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

Footage depicted a blue Prius on the road with significant front-end damage A crash involving injuries was reported around 12:30...

DUI Checkpoints to be Conducted Across LA This Weekend

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The LAPD selects checkpoint sites based on data indicating high incidents of impaired driving-related crashes and arrests The Los Angeles...

Mayor Bass Hails National Guard Withdrawal as Victory for Unity

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The Pentagon’s decision to reduce the troop presence follows weeks of legal challenges and public demonstrations Mayor Karen Bass celebrated...

(Video) Did You Know Emma Chamberlain’s Coffee Shop is in Century City?

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The outpost is a first for the popular influencer Did You Know Emma Chamberlain’s Coffee Shop is in Century City?...

Dodgers to Host Back to School Bash for Fire-Affected Families

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The free event will offer free groceries, school supplies, outfits, haircuts, medical screenings, and carnival rides The Los Angeles Dodgers...

Hundreds of Red-Legged Frog Tadpoles Released in Santa Monica Mountains

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

Once widespread in California, red-legged frogs vanished from the Santa Monica Mountains by the 1970s Nearly 600 California red-legged frog...

LA Sees Second Straight Year of Homelessness Decline, Leaders Celebrate Progress

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The survey, designed by the University of Southern California, reported a 17.5% drop—the largest two-year decrease on record The Los...

Westwood Village Board to Discuss Public Art Initiative

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

The initiative aims to enhance community pride, boost local business revenue, and address urban blight through public art corridors and...

Beverly Hills Plans Major Apartment Development Near Civic Center

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

The site, currently holding 13 residential units, is slated for demolition to make way for the new development A proposal...

Federal Judge Sides with Santa Monica, Other Local Governments Against Immigration Raids

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete praised the ruling, saying it reaffirmed the city’s commitment to protecting residents from unjust detention...

California Hits Two-Thirds Clean Energy Milestone

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

This year, clean energy has powered the state for an average of seven hours daily, with over 90% of days...