$30 minimum wage measure qualifies for November ballot in Alameda County

OAKLAND, Calif. - This November, Alameda County voters will decide whether to raise the minimum wage to $30 an hour.

Signatures collected

What they're saying:

The Living Wage For All Coalition – a collective of more than 100 organizations campaigning for a livable minimum wage – announced on Wednesday morning that it submitted 106% of the petition signatures required to qualify the measure for the November ballot.

Under the proposed Living Wage For All measure in Alameda County, the hourly minimum wage would reach $30 by July 1, 2037, followed by annual increases of at least 3%. Large employers would phase in a $30 minimum wage first, with smaller businesses having a longer timeline to comply.

Additionally, the measure would strengthen enforcement of Alameda County Wage and Employment Standards Laws, and workers subjected to illegal retaliation or wage theft could recover treble damages, allowing courts to triple compensation for lost wages.

Saru Jayaraman, president of One Fair Wage, said the outpouring of support for the measure indicates the desperate need for adequate pay among minimum wage workers.

"This massive show of support makes clear what we’re hearing from voters across Alameda County and across the country: they're done waiting. It’s past time for work to pay what it actually costs to live," Jayaraman said. "Voters across parties and from all walks of life believe that every worker in every job should earn a wage that they can live on. As the birthplace of so many historic movements, we’re so proud that Alameda County will be the first place to pass the highest and most inclusive minimum wage in United States history."

Jayaraman previously pointed to the MIT living wage calculator, which she says estimates a worker needs to earn over $40 an hour to survive anywhere in the county — particularly for those with children or dependents.

"Alameda County is one of the richest counties in the U.S., yet 40% of the people who live here — including thousands of UAW members — are struggling to afford a living," said UAW Region 6 Director Mike Miller. "UAW members are proud to be part of the fight for a living wage in Alameda County, because we know that all working people deserve communities where they can thrive. By coming together with workers across the county, we can make that a reality."

The other side

By the numbers:

Some voters have expressed concern that raising the minimum wage would also drive up prices.

But Jayaraman said a new study from Movement Economics – an Oakland-based research firm – that used government data and economic modeling to project the impact of a countywide wage increase.

"It would increase cost by 0.9%, meaning 1% at most, over the length of the phase-in," she said.

As for inflation concerns, Jayaraman said prices have already outpaced wages significantly.

"Prices have already gone up dramatically in the last six years since the pandemic, more dramatically than we've seen in the past 75 years of inflation," she said. "Wages are just trying to catch up right now with the cost of living."

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