LOS Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti signed an ordinance on Friday, July 8 into law raising the minimum wage for healthcare workers at certain private health care facilities to $25 per hour.
“The past few years have taken an unimaginable toll on our healthcare workers — often putting themselves at risk to care for the sick and their families,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “It is time we put them first. Our healthcare heroes deserve fair compensation for their critical work, countless sacrifices and incredible service to our city and its people.”
Earlier this year, the City received an initiative petition entitled Minimum Wage for Employees Working at Healthcare Facilities containing 145,574 signatures. The resulting ordinance establishes a $25 per hour minimum wage for workers at certain privately owned facilities including hospitals, doctor groups, affiliated clinics, and nursing facilities.
This new law takes effect 31 days after the City Clerk publishes the ordinance and the wage rate will be adjusted annually for the cost of living starting on January 1, 2024. This new law will benefit approximately 20,000 healthcare workers in the city of Los Angeles.
“This was a people-led endeavor that proves when we fight, we win,” said Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson. “We can do more, and should do more to create a Los Angeles where everyone can thrive.”
“For the last two years, our community has relied heavily on the medical community to help navigate us through the pandemic – putting their lives on the line and their families at risk. As a representative of a District that was hit hard by the pandemic, their sacrifice inspired me to be a leader in the fight,” said Councilmember Curren Price. “Working long, grueling hours and absorbing insurmountable stress, the burnout being felt from the pressures of COVID-19 has been prevalent, causing an alarming number of healthcare workers to leave the profession altogether. The approval to raise their wages demonstrates to the countless workers that they are valued, seen, heard and above all, their lives matter.”
“On behalf of many of my fellow healthcare workers, I want to thank Mayor Garcetti and the Los Angeles City Council for their leadership,” said Yecenia Cardenas-Gomez, Certified Nurse Attendant. “Many caregivers are considering leaving the field for other work as the risks of working in a hospital have increased, and they have struggled to meet their basic needs. Our city is facing a healthcare worker shortage, and the care Angelenos receive is directly impacted by the quality and quantity of skilled healthcare workers in our hospitals. By ensuring healthcare workers earn a fair wage that reflects our vital work, Los Angeles can retain and attract the workers needed to ensure the quality of healthcare doesn’t decline in our city.” n
