Portland voters Tuesday night approved a measure to gradually raise the minimum wage from its current rate of $15.50 an hour to $19 an hour over the next three years.
A Maine Center for Economic Policy analysis said 15,000 Portland workers, many in marginalized groups, will benefit from the ordinance and could see an average increase to their income of nearly $2,100 a year.
Jason Shedlock is President of the Southern Maine Labor Council.
"People of color, women, and young people are notoriously paid a lower wage. What Portland voters said last night was that's unacceptable. We understand it's expensive to live here and to raise a family here," Shedlock said.
MECEP said workers in the hospitality, entertainment, personal support and retail industries will benefit the most.
Quincy Hentzel, President of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce, said it's going to be challenging for businesses and the City of Portland to absorb the cost of increased wages.
"It's going to cause the price of good and services to go up, thus increasing the cost of living in Portland. It is also going to increase the city's budget by about 10 million dollars, so Portland's taxes will go up," Hentzel said.
Hentzel said when Portland's minimum wage hits $19 an hour in 2028, it will be the highest minimum wage on the East Coast.
See the Maine Center for Economic Policy analysis here.
