ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland fast food and retail workers could be getting a raise by this fall.
Monday in Annapolis, lawmakers will debate bumping up the state's minimum wage.
The state's minimum wage is set to go up in 2025 but Governor Wes Moore wants to speed up that timeline.
House Bill 549, also known as the 'Fair Wage Act' would give Maryland workers a $15 minimum wage starting this October.
Right now, the minimum wage is $13.25an hour for companies with more than 15 employees, or $12.80 for businesses with fewer employees.
The 'Fair Wage Act' also includes an inflation buster, in that starting in 2025, all future wage increases would be tied to the Maryland Area Consumer Price Index.
However, if annual inflation is zero or negative, the minimum wage would stay the same the following year. If the six-month change in unemployment is negative, the state's Board of Public Works could suspend a wage increase for a year.
Some in business believe accelerating the minimum wage increase from 2025 to 2023 will hurt competition and their bottom line.
Business owners say it's difficult to budget payroll costs if its tied to inflation when no one knows what inflation will be two years from now. They also say it also can create conflicts between new hires starting out at $15 an hour and current employees who've worked their way up to making $15 an hour.
Meanwhile, a coalition called Maryland Fight for $15 asserts with inflation on the rise many families struggle to make ends meet when making less than $15 an hour.
Governor Moore ran on a campaign promise to lift up every Maryland family and accelerate the $15 minimum wage increase to 2023. He also promised the state would help small businesses manage the increased costs of higher wages with financial incentives.
The governor will host a community roundtable on minimum wage at noon before the hearing on the 'Fair Wage Act' which is set for 1 p.m. Monday afternoon at the State House in Annapolis.
