Tucson's minimum wage will be gradually increased to $15 an hour after city voters approved the pay measure on Tuesday.
About 60% of tallied responses voted 'yes' for Proposition 206Β β the ballot initiative to gradually raise Tucsonβs minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 βΒ while about 32% of voters voted 'no', according to unofficial general election results released by the Tucson City Clerkβs office Tuesday night. Nearly 8% of voters didn't submit a vote on the item.Β
The proposition will first increase the minimum wage to $13 in April 2022 and eventually reach $15 in January 2025. After that, wages will increase based on the rate of inflation.
C.J. Boyd, the campaign manager for the group behind the ballot initiative, Tucson Fight for 15, celebrated with staff and supporters of the campaign Tuesday night.Β
"So many people came together to make this happen," he said. "We got over 100 local businesses to sign on to this. I think that was really important to make it clear that this is something where the whole community benefits from it."
Arizonaβs current minimum wage is $12.15 an hour, and the Prop. 206 group estimates about 85,000 city residents will get raises.
The ordinance also calls for the city to set up an office to investigate complaints from employees who believe they havenβt been paid properly while giving jurisdiction to the City Court to hear civil cases alleging violation of the measure.
Proponents of the initiative say the minimum wage raise is long overdue to keep up with the cost of living in Tucson, while opponents say the measure creates an administrative burden on business owners.Β
Prop 206 also impacts tipped workers. State law allows tipped workers to be paid $3 less than non-tipped workers, and the bill maintains that difference by allowing tipped workers to earn $12 an hour when minimum wage reaches $15.
The measure also requires workers scheduled for at least three hours who have their shift canceled with less than 24 hours' notice to be compensated for three hoursβ worth of pay.
