Lieber in talks with Gov over minimum wage increase Lieber in talks with Gov over minimum wage increase (January 13, 2006)

By Nick Burr

State Assembly member Sally Lieber, in response to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's call earlier this month for a minimum wage increase, has been in discussions with the governor's staff aimed at reaching a victory in one of her most hard-fought causes.

The current state minimum wage is $6.75 per hour. One proposal would increase that by about a dollar by mid-2007.

Lieber, who represents Mountain View and the surrounding District 22, pushed last fall for a minimum wage bill, but that was vetoed by the governor in late September. In his dismissal of the bill, the governor pointed to its call for an immediate or "automatic" wage increase that relies on inflation, stating that such methods "fail to account for changes in the economy which could have deleterious effects on the economic health of the state."

Julie Soderlund of the governor's press office commented further on Schwarzenegger's views on the wage: "The issue is that the California economy is improving enough to support an increase in minimum wage."

"The governor believes it's time for a minimum wage increase. He's laid out a very practical plan -- he does not and will not support an automatic increase," Soderlund said.

Lieber said she was "pleased to hear that the governor is interested in a minimum wage increase," and confirmed that she has been meeting with the governor's staff in Sacramento in an effort to iron out an agreement. The indexing issue, in which the wage increases would be dependent upon inflation, is a central concern of the meetings.

"The year before last he vetoed the same bill without indexing, so that will definitely be a subject of discussion," Lieber said.

"It's a great start, and it's going to take a lot of negotiations," she added, noting that "minimum wage workers in California are earning a dollar less than the federal poverty level."

The wage issue, while a statewide concern, hits home with many families in Mountain View, Lieber said.

"We've seen in Mountain View families that are working several minimum-wage jobs between two parents to try and make ends meet. Even a meager increase would really benefit the families."

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