{"id":1912,"date":"2026-06-18T04:06:27","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T04:06:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arizonamovinginsider.com\/?p=1912"},"modified":"2026-06-18T04:06:27","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T04:06:27","slug":"phoenix-leaders-to-study-higher-minimum-wage-for-city-workers-contractors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arizonamovinginsider.com\/?p=1912","title":{"rendered":"Phoenix leaders to study higher minimum wage for city workers, contractors"},"content":{"rendered":"
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PHOENIX \u2014 Some city leaders are asking whether the city’s workers are earning enough to keep up with the Valley’s rising cost of living.<\/p>\n

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Mayor Kate Gallego, Vice Mayor Kesha Hodge Washington and Councilwoman Betty Guardado have signed on to a proposal directing city staff to study whether Phoenix should increase the minimum wage for city employees and certain contractors who do business with the city.<\/p>\n

The proposal does not recommend a specific wage increase. Instead, it asks staff to examine potential options, cost, and impacts before bringing recommendations back to City Council.<\/p>\n

“People shouldn’t be one paycheck away from being homeless,” Guardado said.<\/p>\n

Arizona’s minimum wage is currently $15.15 per hour, which works out to a little more than $30,000 a year before taxes for a full-time worker.<\/p>\n

Guardado argued that wage may no longer reflect the realities of living in Phoenix.<\/p>\n

“I think maybe 20, 15 years ago it may have been enough,” she said.<\/p>\n

In addition to city employees, the proposal asks staff to study whether higher wage requirements should apply to contractors doing business with the city.<\/p>\n

Valley attorney Jim Barton said the proposal would effectively require companies that contract with Phoenix to pay workers more.<\/p>\n

“They’re telling the people they contract with, as a condition of this contract, you need to pay your employees more,” Barton said.<\/p>\n

Many of those contracted workers are employed at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.<\/p>\n

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“For example, the airport, we have a lot of different companies that take contracts at the airport with the City of Phoenix,” Guardado said. “And we need to make sure those workers are making a living wage.”<\/p>\n

Airport workers were among those who spoke in support of the proposal during the City Council meeting.<\/p>\n

“I’m a wheelchair assistant at Sky Harbor Airport,” said Nicole Ray. “I love my job but I make the minimum wage of $15.15 an hour and rely on tips from passengers to get by.”<\/p>\n

Supporters of higher wages point out that other Arizona cities have already adopted local minimum wages above the statewide requirement.<\/p>\n

Both Flagstaff and Tucson have citywide minimum wages that exceed Arizona’s minimum wage.<\/p>\n

Some advocates would like Phoenix to eventually consider a similar approach beyond city employees and contractors.<\/p>\n

“You cannot eat and rent an apartment at $32,000 a year in Phoenix, and I don’t think that’s fair,” Barton said. “You should be able to eat and live if you work full time.”<\/p>\n

For now, City Council is only asking staff to study the issue. Any potential wage increase would need to return to council for consideration and approval at a future meeting, potentially this fall.<\/p>\n

Read more Fed keeps interest rates unchanged, says hikes may be coming later this year<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some city leaders are asking whether the city’s workers are earning enough to keep up with the Valley’s rising cost of living.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1911,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news"],"yoast_head":"\nPhoenix leaders to study higher minimum wage for city workers, contractors - Arizona Moving Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/arizonamovinginsider.com\/?p=1912\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Phoenix leaders to study higher minimum wage for city workers, contractors - 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