Push to raise Alameda County minimum wage to $30 an hour

ALAMEDA, Calif. - A coalition of community organizers, labor leaders and small business owners wants Alameda County voters to decide whether to raise the countywide minimum wage to $30 an hour.

The group plans to formally announce a ballot initiative campaign on Thursday aimed at placing the measure on the November ballot. The initiative is being organized by the Black Organizing Project and One Fair Wage. 

The countywide minimum wage currently stands at about $16 an hour. 

If passed, the initiative would phase in the higher wage over a decade. 

Large businesses with more than 100 employees would be required to pay a $30 an hour minimum wage by 2030. Smaller businesses with fewer than 25 workers would have until 2040 to reach that benchmark.

Supporters say rising housing, food and child care costs make the increase necessary for workers to afford the high cost of living in Alameda County. The group says its own polling shows a majority of county voters support raising the minimum wage.

Once an initiative is filed, organizers have 180 days to gather enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot.