WASHINGTON – D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray has a dilemma. Should he sign the recently passed “living wage bill” which would raise the minimum wage to $12.50 an hour for employees of big box stores like Wal-Mart or veto the measure in order to keep big retailers interested in setting up shop in D.C.?
Earlier in the week, companies including Home Depot, Target and Walgreen’s sent a letter to the mayor insisting that if the bill is signed into law, their future business plans in the District would be jeopardized.
The so-called Wal-Mart bill would increase the minimum wage for an employee from $8.25 to $12.50 an hour but only for large volume retailers without a unionized workforce.
On Friday, the D.C. Chamber of Commerce took out a full page ad calling on the mayor to veto the measure. And at a press conference covered by ABC 7, area clergy insisted the mayor sign the bill.
The mayor insists he hasn’t made up his mind yet.
Watch video below from ABC7:
WTOP’s Alan Etter contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP and@WTOPliving on Twitter.
