Minimum wages going up for county employees
The beginning of 2019 brings an increase in the minimum wage for Plumas County employees from $10.50 to $12 an hour. That schedule is set to increase by $1 each year to $15 per hour in 2022.
Members of the Plumas County Board of Supervisors gave Human Resources Director Nancy Selvage the go ahead to set the wage changes in motion at its regular meeting Dec. 11. Supervisors approved a resolution to amend the fiscal year 2018-2019 job classifications rate.
With a few exceptions, Plumas County is joining counties throughout California in raising the minimum wage. Beginning Jan. 1, 2017, the minimum wage increased to $10.50 per hour. “Although we have increased wage rates over the past two years with cost of living increases, we currently have job classifications that fall below the minimum wage threshold of $12 per hour,” Selvage explained to supervisors.
From 2017 to 2022, the minimum wage increased for employers with 26 or more employees, according to Selvage. “This increase was delayed one year for employers employing 25 or few employees, from Jan. 1, 2018, to Jan. 1, 2023, Selvage said.
Only the state’s Governor can temporarily suspend scheduled increases based on certain determinations, she said. Increases in minimum wages are a California law. “There are no temporary changes at this time,” Selvage said.
Plumas County minimum wage
In Plumas County, some beginning employees can expect to see their hourly wage increase as much as $1. In at least four cases minimum wage will increase by only one or two cents.
Those seeing their wages increase by $1 include an assistant cook, an engineering aide, health aide I, library aide and literacy aide, library literacy clerk, an office assistant I and a prevention aide. All of these will increase from $11 an hour to $12.
Those receiving a one or two cent per hour wage increase are a program assist II general position going from $13.22 to $13.23; a custodian from $11.98 to $12; a branch library assistant I is going from $11.99 to $12 an hour; and program assistant I from $11.98 to $12.
Other wages within the general classification include the branch library assistant II position going from $13.08 to $13.23, a services assistant I from $11.69 to $12; services assistant II from $12.90 to $13.54; services assistant II from $12.90 to $13.54; services assistant III from $14.22 to $14.93; a head cook from $11.55 to $12.60; a health aide II from $11.55 to $12.60; a library technician from $11.99 to $13.23; an office assistant II from $11.63 to $12.60; an office assistant III from $12.69 to $13.23; and a site manager from $12.58 to $13.23 per hour.
It might be noted that in 1955, the federal government increased the minimum wage to $1.
