Florida’s Amendment 2 to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026 passed with 60.8% voter approval on November 3, just barely passing the 60% threshold needed for it to pass.
As the majority of Florida’s electorate voted in favor of raising wages, the majority of voters also voted to re-elect Donald Trump, who received about 370,000 more votes in the state than President-Elect Joe Biden. Both Biden and Trump received less votes than Florida’s $15 minimum wage initiative.
With its passage, Florida’s wage floor will rise from its current $8.56 an hour to $10 next September, increasing in $1 increments each year after until it reaches $15 by September 30, 2026. About 2.5 million workers—a quarter of Florida’s workforce—will see this pay increase next year.
“We continued to challenge corporate power. We’ve shown the state, the country and corporations like McDonald’s the power of our voices when workers come together,” said Gail Rogers, a 62-year old Florida McDonald’s worker with Fight for $15. “We wouldn’t have won without essential workers coming together—voting together.”
Learn more about the implications of Florida’s $15 minimum wage victory, how it happened, and lessons to take from Florida’s election results by checking out my debut piece for In These Times!
McKenna Schueler 