California’s Proposition 32, which proposed raising the state’s minimum wage to $17 by 2025 and $18 by 2026, failed to pass, leaving workers in Kern County and beyond still awaiting a wage boost.
Local business owner Favian Alex Ruiz, who runs multiple restaurants in Bakersfield, expressed mixed feelings about the proposition’s defeat. While he believes employees deserve higher wages, he acknowledged the challenges wage increases pose to business owners, including the need to raise prices to cover higher labor costs. “I love my employees and want them to make more money, but it’s hard for us as business owners,” Ruiz explained. “We try to absorb some of the cost, but it’s a little difficult.”
Ada Briceno, co-president of the Unite Here labor union, which represents over 300,000 workers, highlighted the struggle of living on the current minimum wage. “There is nobody you’ll talk to who makes $16.50 an hour in California who can make ends meet,” Briceno said, emphasizing the need for wage increases to help workers keep up with rising living costs.
While the proposition’s failure means workers will have to wait longer for a raise, business owners like Ruiz anticipate future efforts to raise the minimum wage in the state, especially as inflation continues to affect workers’ purchasing power.
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