This situation is changing in Washington, DC.
The Washington, DC, city council held a
final vote Tuesday on the minimum wage increase it had already unanimously supported, and that's not all:
The increase will raise the minimum wage to $9.50 in July 2014, $10.50 the following year, and $11.50 by 2016, with future increases tied to the Consumer Price Index. Mayor Vincent Gray has promised to sign the veto-proof bill, though he told the Post's Mike DeBonis there is "room for amendments" after the city's academic study is done.
Also heading to Gray is an amendment to the Earned Sick and Safe Leave Act that will provide paid sick days to tipped restaurant workers after 90 days of employment. Not included is a raise to the base wage for tipped workers, though employers will be required to certify that they're paying these workers a full minimum wage through the tip credit.
The District's minimum wage will quickly become one of the highest in the nation, and it is joined by two neighboring Maryland counties, raising the wage for a significant region.