The District of Columbia’s city council is set to vote on Tuesday on a $15-an-hour minimum wage, a rate adopted by a growing number of U.S. cities and states seeking to battle income inequality.
The 13-member council will hold a first vote on a measure to boost the minimum hourly wage to $15 by 2020. The current base wage is $10.50, and will go up by $1 on July 1 under existing law.
If the measure becomes law, the U.S. capital will join California and New York in making $15 the hourly minimum. At least eight cities, including Seattle, have also approved the $15 base.
The measure is backed by Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser, and supporters say it will help trim the gap between rich and poor and keep residents from being pushed out because of rising living costs.
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