Minimum-wage battle is far from settled in Twin Cities

The four-year hike to a $15 minimum wage in Minneapolis began this month, but the broader discussion and a lot of lobbying is just getting underway.

It was only a few years ago that the custodian union targeted $10 an hour as the wage floor amid the slow job-growth days after the Great Recession. The working stiff sure could make the case for a raise, after a generation of stagnating wages.

Today, the Twin Cities has record-low unemployment. Many employers are offering starting wages at $12, $13, $15-or-more per hour in factories, banks, offices and restaurants for even inexperienced-but-trainable new hires. Employee-hungry employers, from Graco to Target and U.S. Bancorp have effectively established $15 as the new floor for wages.

There are interesting twists to this evolving tale. Here are some of the issues that will surface in coming months:

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/action-expected-in-coming-months-on-minimum-wage-front/469024273/