Washington, DC – DC Council gives final approval to minimum wage increase

The D.C. Council gave final approval to raising the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour starting in 2020 in a vote on Tuesday. Tuesday’s vote, however, served as mostly a formality after another vote to raise the wage two weeks ago. Mayor Muriel Bowser has pledged to sign the bill. With this wage increase, the District of Columbia will join the states of New York and California and a number of other cities in voting to more than double the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. While the vote to raise the minimum wage was unanimous, there was still debate about how to fairly compensate workers who rely on tips. The bill will increase hourly wages for tipped workers to $5 an hour.