Voters in four states will decide the fate of ballot questions Nov. 5 proposing to raise the minimum wage, while voters in two other states will resolve related issues.
Here is a breakdown of what’s happening where on the ballot.
Arizona
Arizona’s ballot proposition would require tipped workers to be paid 25% less than the minimum wage of $14.35 per hour.
Under current Arizona law, tipped employees are paid $11.35 per hour, $3 less than the minimum wage.
This is the case so long as the employees make at least $2 per hour in tips; otherwise, they will be paid the lawful minimum wage.
If Arizona voters approve Proposition 138, also known as “The Tipped Workers Protection Act,” employers will be allowed to pay tipped employees $10.77 an hour instead of $11.35 if those same workers make $2 more an hour than the minimum wage (currently $14.35).
Some argue that voter approval of the measure would help maintain high standards in the restaurant industry, increasing incomes for workers and motivating them to do better, as noted on the Arizona secretary of state’s website. Others claim the proposition is intended to raise the profits of greedy corporations while neglecting the poor.
Eric Stafford, a Democrat candidate for state Senate, argues that the “confusing” ballot measure is “anything but a Tipped Workers Protection Act” and urges Arizona residents to vote “no,” as highlighted in a different section of the state website.
Missouri
Missouri’s Proposition A would raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour and require employers to provide earned paid sick leave, according to Missouri’s Office of Secretary of State.
The minimum wage in Missouri currently is $12.30 an hour, according to Minimum Wage Facts and Analysis.
Voting “yes” would be to implement the changes and raise the minimum wage, and voting “no” would be to keep things the same, according to the state website.
Prop A has the support of unions, worker advocacy groups, civil rights groups, and social justice organizations, according to a description of the ballot initiative.
“We believe full-time work deserves better than poverty,” Richard Von Glahn, campaign manager for Missourians for Healthy Families and Fair Wages, told the Missouri Independent. “But [the] current minimum wage—that’s what it leads to.”
Opposers of the measure include the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, which warns of the impact on employers.
“Proposition A ties the hands of employers, particularly small businesses, who are already offering competitive wages and benefits to attract and retain talent,” Brian Hammons, chairman of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, said in a release.
Alaska
Voters in Alaska will approve or reject Ballot Measure 1, which would raise the minimum wage by over $3, to $15 an hour, and require employers to provide earned paid sick leave, much like the ballot question in Missouri.
The minimum wage in Alaska has been $11.73 per hour since January, according to the Alaska Beacon.
Measure 1 is described on the state website as a move to “protect workers from practices that violate their constitutional rights.”
Nebraska
Nebraska voters also will decide whether to require businesses to offer earned paid sick leave for employees, as proposed by Initiative 436 on the ballot.
A vote “for” the initiative would be to entitle employees to use up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per year if the employer has fewer than 20 employees.
If the employer has over 20 employees, the worker would get 56 hours of paid sick leave a year, according to the legal description of the ballot question.
Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, voters will decide Question 5, which would increase the minimum wage for tipped employees to meet the state’s general standard.
The minimum wage in Massachusetts is $15 per hour, more than twice as high as the federal minimum wage of $7.25. The minimum wage for tipped employees is $6.75, according to Workstream.
Voting “yes” is in favor of increasing the wage for tipped workers to $15 over five years, requiring employers to abide by it. Voting “no” is to keep things the same, according to the state’s website.
California
Voter approval of the Golden State’s Proposition 32 would increase the minimum wage to $18 an hour, according to the California Legislative Analyst’s Office.
California’s minimum wage is $16 per hour. Raising it not only would boost workers’ incomes but increase costs for businesses, lower profits for some businesses, and spark changes in the job market, according to the state Legislature’s website.
For a recent petition by the Economic Policy Institute, a union-funded organization, over a hundred economists said they support raising the federal minimum wage to $15 by this year. The move would result in $121 billion in higher wages for 39.7 million low-wage workers, benefiting their families and communities, according to the institute.
The Congressional Budget Office is among analysts arguing that raising the minimum wage prompts low-wage workers to become jobless, hurting rather than helping them. CBO does conclude that such measures could help some workers, according to its website.
