Minimum Wage Ordinance - Background Information

El Cerrito Establishes Minimum Wage Standards

On November 17, 2015, City Council adopted an ordinance to establish a local minimum wage in El Cerrito starting in 2016, with stepped increases to raise the rate to $15.00 an hour by 2019. Read the adopted ordinance.

On February 16, 2016, the City Council deferred the inclusion of paid sick leave benefit & hospitality service charge regulation provisions for 2016 and will reconsider these enhancements in the future.

Current information for local employers and workers is online at www.el-cerrito.org/wages

Background Information on Development of the Minimum Wage Ordinance

November 3, 2015 City Council Meeting


At their November 3, 2015 meeting, the Council passed the first reading of the ordinance
Download the staff presentation (PDF)
Read the agenda bill
Read the revised First Reading of the ordinance (with changes made on 11/3/15)
Council Meeting video archive (link to webpage with video)

Community Outreach Efforts


 The public, including members of the business community were encouraged to attend a community meeting to hear a presentation about the proposed minimum wage ordinance, ask questions and provide feedback.
Download a PDF copy of the postcard mailed out to El Cerrito residents and businesses.

Community Meetings & Presentations

 Monday, September 21, 2015
6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Community Input Meeting
El Cerrito City Hall, 10890 San Pablo Ave
Download the City staff presentation (PFD)
Download the Fact Sheet from Ensuring Opportunity
Download the Policy Brief by the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education

Thursday, August 27, 2015
Staff presentation at Economic Development Committee Meeting

Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Staff presentation at Human Relations Commission Meeting

Thursday, September 10, 2015
Staff presentation at Rotary Meeting

Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Staff presentation at Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
Download the presentation (PFD)


August 18, 2015 Council Study Session



Revised El Cerrito Strategic Plan

At the Council’s strategic plan update study session held on March 28, 2015, establishing a local “living wage” was identified as an additional strategy towards achieving the City’s Strategic goal of “Ensuing the public’s health and safety”
Download the Updated Strategic Plan

Did you Know?

A number of other Bay Area municipalities have enacted local minimum wage ordinances, including Richmond, Berkeley, Emeryville, San Francisco, San Jose, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and Palo Alto.

Locally, in Contra Costa County, Ensuring Opportunity is a cross-sector collaboration, housed at the Richmond Community Foundation, that is looking at long-term solutions to end poverty in the County.

Ensuring Opportunity engaged the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education at University of California, Berkeley, to conduct a prospective impact study to look at the possible effects on low wage workers, businesses and consumers if the minimum wage was increased to $15 throughout Contra Costa County. Read the Labor Center’s Policy Brief (Sept 2015).

The Labor Center is a public service and outreach program of the UC Berkeley Institute for Research on Labor and Employment.

Other Resources


From the State Employment Development Department:
Report on El Cerrito Businesses by Industry type
(includes number of companies, number of employees and total wages)

From Ensuring Opportunity:

Related Links


• California Department of Industrial Relations

• U.S. Department of Labor

• Consumer Price Index FAQs


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