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AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Bowser announces increase to D.C. minimum wage

Mayor+Muriel+Bowser+will+likely+be+the+first+three-term+D.C.+mayor+since+Marion+Berry%2C+who+won+his+third+term+in+1986.
Anthony Peltier | Staff Photographer
Mayor Muriel Bowser will likely be the first three-term D.C. mayor since Marion Berry, who won his third term in 1986.

Mayor Muriel Bowser announced in a release Wednesday that Washington D.C.’s minimum wage will increase.

The minimum wage for D.C. workers, starting Friday, will increase from $15.20 per hour to $16.10 per hour for non-tipped employees and $5.05 per hour to $5.35 per hour for tipped employees under the Fair Shot Minimum Wage Amendment of 2016, the release states. GW student employees are paid at least the minimum wage for D.C. and will be paid at the increased wage starting Friday, according to GW Career Services.

The Fair Shot Minimum Wage Amendment of 2016 states that the D.C. minimum wage will increase each year corresponding to the Consumer Price Index, a measure of how the costs for goods and services have changed over a period of time. The amendment states the minimum wage of $11.50 for non-tipped employees and $2.77 for tipped employees in 2016 should jump to $15 for non-tipped employees and $5 for tipped employees by 2020.

“The Fight for $15 didn’t end at $15, and beginning July 1, workers should expect to see this latest increase reflected in their pay,”  Bowser said in the release.  “We know that a strong economy and a strong workforce means having a strong, competitive minimum wage. We were proud to make D.C. a leader in the Fight for $15, and now we are proud to build on those efforts as our work continues to give all Washingtonians their fair shot.”

The D.C. Board of Elections in April added Initiative 82 to the November ballot, which will allow D.C. residents to vote on raising the minimum wage for tipped employees to $15.20. Students who are proponents of the initiative said the increased wage will give employees consistent pay that is not dependent on their tipped earnings.

The Department of Employment Services Office of Wage-Hour Compliance will hold employers accountable for complying with the wage increase by conducting compliance audits and compensating employees who have been paid less than the minimum wage, according to the release.

“D.C. is open and our workers deserve a fair shot at economic prosperity,” Department of Employment Services Director Dr. Unique Morris-Hughes said in the release. “We want to make sure all businesses are aware of the changes in the District’s minimum wage so they can stay compliant, and workers are paid what they earn.”

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About the Contributor
Ianne Salvosa, News Editor
Ianne Salvosa is a junior majoring in journalism and international affairs from Lake Saint Louis, Missouri. She is The Hatchet's 2023-2024 news editor for the Administration and Finance beat. She previously served as an assistant news editor for the Administration and Finance beat and a contributing news editor for the Academics and Administration beats for Vol. 119.
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