$15 an hour for full-time Tampa city employees

Today, Mayor Jane Castor, alongside ATU, SEIU, West Central Florida Labor Council, and Councilmember Dingfelder made an announcement that starting October 1st, all new and existing City of Tampa employees will receive a minimum $15 hour.

“It’s just the right thing to do,” said Mayor Jane Castor. “Sustainability is about more than the environment, it’s about the economy and the quality of life of those who live and work in Tampa. Growing the talent that we need to ensure a strong future for Tampa means paying our workers a living wage.

“Here in Tampa, we are a city that recognizes and values the dignity of work. Hard work and diversity built this city and we’re going to make sure that people are rewarded for it.”

[Renzo]

I like Jane Castor so far but I'm not for the minimum wage because it could cause business owners to blatantly FIRE their employees. Yes the actual employees will get a higher wage, but regular food costs will explode and then bring us back to before the bill. If housng costs increase then yes I'll understand but now employers will be forced to fire employees, increase store costs, or replace employees with robots to accommodate payment.