Oakland's $30 minimum wage push advances toward city council vote
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Two separate fights over workers' pay are gaining attention in the East Bay, as fast-food employees in Alameda protest alleged wage theft and Oakland moves closer to deciding the future of a proposed $30 minimum wage.
Workers at a Jack in the Box on Park Street in Alameda went on strike Friday, accusing their employer of issuing bounced paychecks, delaying wages and retaliating against employees.
Legal Aid at Work filed a lawsuit last week alleging the pay problems also affected workers at other restaurants operated by the same franchisee.
"We've had clients borrowing money to cover groceries, borrowing from family," said Samuel Aber, a staff attorney with Legal Aid at Work.
When asked whether the workers could afford to miss paychecks, Aber responded, "No they can't."
MORE: Alameda County weighs nation's first $30 minimum wage
ABC7 Eyewitness News reached out to Jack in the Box and the franchise operator for comment but had not received a response.
California has a $20 hourly minimum wage for covered fast-food workers.
Meanwhile, in nearby Oakland, organizers are pushing to gradually raise the city's minimum wage to $30 an hour.
Oakland's current minimum wage is $17.34 an hour, compared with $18.45 in San Jose and $19.61 in San Francisco. All three cities adjust their minimum wages annually for inflation.
"One job should be enough," said Tonisha Scott, an organizer with One Fair Wage, who helped collect signatures for the Oakland initiative.
MORE: With 2027 minimum wage increase, Newsom says CA puts 'working families first'
After months of gathering signatures, organizers qualified the proposal for city council consideration.
On Thursday, Oakland's Rules and Legislation Committee voted 4-0 to schedule the measure for the full city council on Dec. 1. Councilmembers could adopt the initiative directly, send it to voters in 2028 or request an economic impact study before making a final decision.
Denis Sosinskiy, a postdoctoral scholar at UC Berkeley in labor and employment, said research on minimum wage increases generally shows moderate effects on consumer prices, although businesses employing large numbers of low-wage workers may need to adjust.
The Black Organizing Project, which helped organize the signature drive, says the campaign is also about preventing longtime residents from being priced out of Oakland.
"We're fighting, not just for ourselves, but our family members, our neighbors, our comrades to be able to live and stay in Oakland," said Keala Uchoa, the organization's communications manager.
Under the proposed schedule, large employers would reach a $30 hourly minimum wage by 2030, medium-sized employers by 2035 and small employers by 2037. The timing of the increases could depend on whether the council adopts the measure or sends it to voters, potentially in November 2028.
No minimum wage increase was approved at Thursday's committee meeting.
