Denver City Council unanimously approves minimum wage hike starting Jan. 1

The Denver City Council unanimously increased the citywide minimum wage Monday night to thundering applause throughout its chambers.

The new law requires employers to bump hourly employees to at least $12.85 on Jan. 1, with a second raise to $14.77 following at the start of 2021, and a third to $15.87 in 2022. After that, the new law mandates that it will then be adjusted annually for inflation using the Consumer Price Index.

Public comment was overwhelmingly, if not entirely, in favor of the law, which places Denver as the first Colorado city to raise the local minimum wage. Ultimately, the council voted 11-0.

The raises are overdue and while the end goal of $15.87 per hour is a step in the right direction, many said, the council must already consider the next steps.

Read more: https://www.denverpost.com/2019/11/25/denver-city-council-minimum-wage/