MELANIE NGUYEN
Dec 16, 2024
In addition to the statewide increases, cities in Marin and Sonoma counties are raising their minimums. At least four cities in the North Bay can expect a minimum-wage increase in 2025 — a continuation of a trend to raise the minimum wage in some cities.
To ring in the New Year, at least four cities in the North Bay can expect a minimum-wage increase in 2025 — a continuation of a trend to raise the minimum wage in some cities.
Following a statewide increase in minimum wage from $16 to $16.50 per hour, employees working in the cities of Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Novato and Petaluma all can expect an increase to the minimum wage in 2025. The increases were determined using the consumer price index.
In Santa Rosa, the minimum wage will increase from $17.45 to $17.87 for all businesses regardless of how many employees they have.
For businesses with 25 people or less in Sonoma, the minimum wage will go up from $16.56 to $16.96 per hour. For larger businesses with 26 or more employees, the minimum wage will rise from $17.60 to $18.02 per hour starting Jan. 1.
Similarly, workers at businesses in Novato with 25 or fewer employees will receive $16.42 per hour — a 38-cent increase from last year’s $16.04-per-hour minimum. For businesses with 26 to 99 employees, the minimum wage will increase from $16.60 to $17.00 per hour.
In Novato — at businesses of 100 or more employees — the minimum wage will increase from $16.86 to $17.27 per hour.
In Petaluma, the minimum will increase from $17.45 to $17.97 per hour. Also going up, the “Learners Wage” minimum from $14.85 to $15.30 per hour for employees ages 14 through 17 in their first 160 hours of learning a new job and with no prior experience.
According to MIT’s living wage calculator, it estimates that a living wage for a single person without children in Sonoma County is roughly $27.15 per hour. In Marin County, it would be $32.19 per hour.
Marty Bennett, a delegate to the North Bay Labor Council, said increases help close the gap between the minimum and livable wages — although he said there is still a long way to go.
“There’s clearly a disconnect between the state minimum wage and what is a truly livable wage,” Bennett said. “So by raising the wage floor, the community is making a statement that the entire community benefits when the minimum wage is raised.”
The local increases in minimum wage come after an effort to bump up the statewide minimum wage failed earlier this year. This was separate from the state’s fast food employee minimum wage law, effective April 1, and the health care worker minimum wage law, which went into effect in October.
Proposition 32 suggested raising the minimum wage for most workers to $18 an hour.
Those in support of the initiative wanted the increase because of California’s high cost of living. Those who opposed it were concerned about increased costs for businesses and potential job losses.
The proposition failed by a narrow margin, 50.7% voting against and 49.3% voting for the increase, according to data from the Secretary of State’s Office.
The Marin County Board of Supervisors was considering raising the minimum wage to $18 an hour in January. However, the board halted its conversation in June until after the Proposition 32 decision.
Maddy Hirshfield, the political director at the North Bay Labor Council, said the labor council and other groups fought to increase the minimum wage in the area faster than the state was raising the wage.
“I think it helps a lot and anyone who tells you it doesn’t is not really looking at the total picture,” Hirshfield said. “The total picture being people trying to put food on the table and a roof over their heads for them and their family.”
You can reach Staff Writer Melanie Nguyen at 707-521-5457 or melanie.nguyen@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @mellybelly119