D.C. could force huge wage increase on city's big retailers

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson’s bill to require big retailers to pay their employees a “living wage” is back, this time with nearly the entire council backing it. The legislation would require any business with 75,000 square feet or more of retail space and a parent company with annual gross revenues of more than $1 billion to pay workers at least $11.75 an hour — $3.50 more than the District’s minimum wage.

Some likely targets of the bill: Walmart, Lowe’s, Giant and Safeway.