'Here To Stay': Court Of Appeals Upholds $15 Minimum Wage Ordinance
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld the decision Monday to make the minimum wage $15 in Minneapolis.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey released a statement commending the court's decision.
"Our minimum wage ordinance is here to stay," Frey said. "After more than a year of litigation, thousands of Minneapolis workers and families can rest a little easier knowing that the ordinance protecting their livelihoods is on firm legal ground."
The court's decision came after Graco Inc. sued, claiming the ordinance is pre-empted by the Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act. According to the decision, Graco argued the act sets "both a floor and a ceiling, thereby prohibiting municipalities from establishing a wage rate in excess of the state minimum wage." The court rejected that argument and Appeals Court Judge Renee Worke wrote the decision affirming that the city's law is valid. Appeals Court Judge Matthew Johnson dissented.
The city of Minneapolis passed the ordinance in 2017, stating businesses will be able to implement the new policy in phases. On Jan. 1, 2019, the minimum wage went up to $9.86.
