Deal Reached To Take California Minimum Wage To $15 An Hour

(AP) — California legislators and labor unions have reached an agreement that will take the state's minimum wage from $10 to $15 an hour.

Sen. Mark Leno, a Democrat from San Francisco, said Saturday that a deal has been reached. The proposal would go before the Legislature as part of his minimum-wage bill that stalled last year. Leno said the deal would avoid taking the issue to the ballot. One union-backed initiative has already qualified for California's November ballot and a second, competing measure is also trying to qualify.

Leno did not confirm specifics of the agreement, but most proposals have the wage increasing about a dollar per year until it reaches $15 per hour.

At $10, California already has one of the highest minimum wages in the nation. A hike to $15 would make it the highest by far, though raises are in the works in other states.