A recent law signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom is set to significantly boost the hourly wages of healthcare workers in the state. The legislation, authored by Sen. Maria Elena Durazo,
has been welcomed by labor unions who have long campaigned for this wage hike. While not all healthcare workers will receive an increase to $25 an hour, the law establishes various tiers of wage hikes for businesses based on factors like facility size, the population it serves, and the services it provides.
The majority of the wage increases are slated to begin on June 1, in accordance with the new law.
The Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West hailed this legislation as a historic achievement, marking California's first healthcare-specific wage mandate. In a statement, the union expressed, "For all the dedicated healthcare workers who are struggling to pay bills and support themselves and their families, higher pay will make a huge difference in their lives. Raising wages means that workers who were considering leaving can stay and new workers will be attracted by the higher base pay."
This development coincides with a tentative agreement between Kaiser Permanente and unions representing thousands of employees. Part of Kaiser's proposed deal encompasses a 21% wage increase spread over four years for existing employees. Additionally, a $25 minimum hourly wage is set for California workers and $23 for employees located in other parts of the country, according to the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions and Kaiser Permanente. The agreement covers a workforce of 85,000 individuals across various states. Voting on the contract is scheduled to begin on October 18, with retroactive effectiveness from October 1 if ratified.
The healthcare sector is not the only industry witnessing a wage boost. Governor Newsom previously signed into law a minimum wage increase for fast-food workers, which is slated to come into effect on April 1. Under this law, fast food workers will see their wages rise to $20 per hour, up from the previous state average of $16.21.
Governor Newsom has also taken other legislative actions in recent weeks, including signing bills aimed at aiding in the search for missing Black individuals, enhancing LGBTQ+ rights, restricting food additives, and raising taxes on gun sales. In total, he has signed over 50 bills as California's legislative session concluded.
Throughout the session, the governor issued several vetoes, including a bill addressing parental affirmation of a child's gender identity in custody court arrangements, which sparked controversy. Additionally, he vetoed a bill intended to limit the cost of insulin. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia commons.