CHICO, Calif. — Californians remain divided over the ongoing minimum wage battle. In the Fall, voters can expect to see Prop 32 on the ballots aiming to raise California’s minimum wage from the current $16 an hour up to $18 for most employees.
“We need a minimum wage that brings people closer to that basic survival, just the cost of living,” said the President of the One Fair Wage Organization and a wage increase advocate, Saru Jayaraman.
“Because it’s an unexpected cost and one size fits all cost, it hits the small business owner where it hurts,” said The Director of the National Federation of Independent Business, and advocate against Prop 32, John Kabateck.
“Across the state is one defining word, uncertainty. Many are still desperately trying to climb their way out of the COVID hole,” said Kabateck.
“When minimum wage increases come into effect it puts small business owners on edge and with good reason.” Kabateck continued, “Because they are trying to really grow back but this has the opposite effect. Prop 32 would take businesses down the wrong path.”
Kabateck says putting a one-size-fits-all proposition on small businesses would harm them but Jayaraman, says that’s not the case. “It actually helps small businesses the most because small businesses rely on their communities to be able to come and use their products or eat in their restaurants and that can only happen if people in the community have enough to go eat out and enough to go purchase things,” Jayaraman said.
“Definitely everybody needs to go vote yes for $18 this November and join the fight to push legislators to go to 20 next year,” Jayaraman told KRCR.
“Let’s encourage people to vote no on Prop 32 that would be doing California workers and small business owners the best favor possible,” Kabateck added.
Prop 32 is one of the many coming to the ballots this fall, the next steps for minimum wage lie in the hands of the California voters.
