OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – On Monday a proposal to increase the minimum wage for Oakland County employees to $15 per hour was approved by members of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners' Legislative Affairs and Government Operations Committee.
The measure was approved 4-1 and now advances to the full board for consideration.
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“If you work full-time, you shouldn’t live in poverty,” said Commissioner Angela Powell, D-Pontiac, the sponsor of the original proposal. “We are leading by example.”
The proposal, which was first introduced by board Democrats in May, will raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour for all full-time employees, and part-time workers doing the same work.
It is estimated that the proposal positively impacts 230 positions in the county workforce.
“Raising wages for workers who are at the bottom rung of the economic ladder has long been a priority for us,” said Board Chairman David T. Woodward, D-Royal Oak, who also has held leadership roles in the last two efforts that raised Michigan’s minimum wage.
“We believe economic opportunity should be afforded to everyone who works. It’s not just the right thing to do, it is the moral thing to do.”