Officials: San Francisco is 1st major US city with $15 wage

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Officials say San Francisco on Sunday became the first major U.S. city to increase its minimum wage to $15 an hour under a ballot measure approved by voters in 2014.

City Administrator Naomi Kelly said it was the first to hit the milestone for all workers. But it won’t be the last. California lawmakers approved a plan two years ago to increase the state’s $10 minimum to $15 by 2022.

A much smaller San Francisco Bay Area city, Emeryville, also increased its minimum wage for smaller employers to $15 on Sunday. Larger employers have had to pay workers a little over $15 since last July.

Larger employers in Seattle pay workers at least $15 an hour.

Advocates have been urging a $15 minimum, saying workers need a “living wage” to survive.