The Birmingham City Council has passed a resolution increasing the minimum wage to over ten dollars an hour. APR’s Alex AuBuchon reports it won’t happen all at once.
The Birmingham City Council passed an ordinance during their meeting today that will eventually increase the city’s minimum wage to ten dollars and ten cents ($10.10) per hour.
Council President Johnathan Austin proposed the measure. It will raise the minimum wage to $8.50 by July of next year, and then to $10.10 by July 2017. And the door is left open for future increases. The ordinance calls for annual adjustments based on changes in the city’s cost of living.
Alabama doesn’t have a state minimum wage, so the federal floor of $7.25 is the standard. Someone currently working 40 hours a week at minimum wage in Birmingham makes around $15,000 per year.
Council members also voted to more than double their salary earlier this month.
Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump is making a stop in Mobile Friday.
The city’s mayor office has confirmed the reality TV star will make an appearance at the Mobile Civic Center. The event is suggested to be a town hall-like meeting.
The event will take place at 7 p.m.
It’s the first time a front-runner for the White House will make a stop in Lower Alabama.
More than one hundred and fifty restaurants are participating in the fourth annual Alabama Restaurant Week.
The event will continue through this Sunday. Participating restaurants are offering reduced priced lunch and dinner menus. The Alabama tourism department is also promoting culinary weekends to cities like Birmingham.
Grey Brennan is the Regional Director of the Alabama Tourism Department. He says it is a convenient way for customers to try out new restaurants.
“For customers, it’s fantastic. You don’t need a coupon; you don’t have to remember to bring anything to the restaurant. All you have to do is show up and say can you show me your menu and what do you have special for Alabama Restaurant Week.”
Special prices start at five, ten and fifteen dollars for lunch, with dinner prices from ten, twenty, or thirty dollars. Restaurants will provide their original menus as well.