DC Council OKs $11.50 minimum wage

In a widely expected move, the DC Council voted unanimously today to raise the city’s minimum wage to $11.50 an hour, up from its current rate of $8.25. The bill now goes to Mayor Vincent Gray, who has opposed an increase that high but would likely see any veto overridden by the Council.

The increase is a culmination of several months of activism by liberal groups and labor unions, initially sparked by the announcement that Walmart had finalized plans to build six locations in the city. Groups like OUR DC, which is backed by the Service Employees International Union, pushed back against the nonunion retailer’s arrival.