For the first time since Jan. 1, 2009, people who make minimum wage in the City of San Francisco are going to get a raise once the calendar reads 2011.
That's the end of the good news.
The reality is that the increase is exactly 13 cents. Instead of $9.79 an hour, it goes up 1.3 percent to $9.92 an hour. Just 8 more cents and we have a $10 minimum wage.
The change is thanks to a 2003 ordinance that takes into account the City's Consumer Price Index for the previous year. Last year, the rate did not increase at all.
Outgoing Mayor Gavin Newsom tried to put a positive spin on the pittance.
"Ensuring that our local minimum wage keeps pace with inflation will protect the purchasing power of San Francisco’s working families and further stimulate our economic recovery," Newsom said in a written statement.
The tiny increase is costing the City a bundle. The San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement now has to mail posters announcing the new amount to 100,000 businesses. The stamp alone would cost more than the increase.
