- Omaha may set a $15 minimum wage for all workers, regardless of age
- The proposed ordinance would tie annual wage increases to the inflation rate
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) – The Omaha City Council is considering an ordinance that would raise the minimum wage for non-tipped workers and tie future increases to the inflation rate.
Councilmember Danny Begley is introducing the ordinance on Tuesday, June 9. It would standardize the minimum wage for non-tipped employees in Omaha regardless of age.
Earlier this year, the Nebraska Legislature made changes to the state's minimum wage law, setting the rate at $13.50 per hour for workers under 16, compared to $15 per hour for older workers. Supporters of the minimum wage hike say the Legislature's action runs contrary to the will of Nebraska voters, who in 2022 supported increasing the minimum wage to $15 by 2026 for everyone.
Begley said his ordinance would help teens.
"It doesn't race to the bottom to allow younger workers that are 14 or 15 years old, get exploited, and get paid a lesser hourly rate," Begley said.
The ordinance would also change how the minimum wage increases each year. State law sets annual increases at 1.75%, while Begley's ordinance would instead tie increases to the inflation rate.
Under state law, adult Nebraska workers would earn 26 cents more per hour a year from now – a 1.75% increase. Under the proposed Omaha ordinance, workers could earn more than 60 cents more. That is based on a Midwest regional inflation rate topping 4%, according to the federal government.
Neighbors in Aksarben Village offered mixed reactions to the proposal.
"I think that's a good idea. The cost of living is getting higher and higher these days, and it's not very affordable for people," Chris Abdouche, a Dundee neighbor, said.
"I think that it could help with increasing wages, but the concern is, it can often lead to job loss," Steve George, an Elkhorn neighbor, said.
The ordinance is making its way through the city council this month, with a public hearing scheduled for June 16 and a vote scheduled on June 30.
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