Los Angeles on Wednesday approved a minimum wage hike to $15 an hour, becoming the latest large city to increase pay amid mounting pressure.
The incremental wage increase in the second-largest U.S. city—which the city council passed in a 12-1 vote—will take place by 2020.
The hourly rate would more than double the current federal rate of $7.25 per hour. Los Angeles follows Seattle and San Francisco, which previously passed measures to hike wages to $15 an hour over several years.
Higher wage floors have served as a point of contention in recent years. Advocates have argued that hikes are necessary for minimum wage workers to cover the cost of living, while some detractors contend that higher pay burdens businesses.
The Los Angeles bill will become law pending approval from Mayor Eric Garcetti. The measure—which got preliminary approval last month—faced uncertainty after labor union leaders encouraged last-second changes that would make exceptions for companies with unionized workers.
The push for union leeway to negotiate a lower wage has since been scrapped.
Minimum pay will climb to $10.50 an hour by July of next year, with incremental increases bringing the floor to $15 by 2020.
