Arizona Wage & Leave Initiative Appears Headed Toward November Ballot

Unions in Arizona gathered 250,000 signatures to place a statewide minimum wage and paid sick leave initiative on the November ballot. The Fair Wages and Healthy Families Initiative would increase Arizona’s minimum wage to $10 in 2017 gradually increasing it to $12 by 2020.

Key changes contained in the Initiative:

• Requires employers to provide 40 hours of annual "earned paid sick time" for employees of large employers (more than 15 employees) and 24 hours for those of small employers (15 or less employees)
• Sick time accrues at one hour earned for every 30 hours worked
• Employees may use the accrued time  for issues related to their own illness or for a family members’ illness, for  public health emergencies, or issues related to domestic violence
• Employers would be prohibited from retaliating against employees who use the benefit
• Allows for more generous paid time-off policies
• Exempts employees participating in a collective bargaining agreement  
• Provides for counties, cities and municipalities to set their own wage and hour regulations above the requirements in the initiative

This initiative is undergoing signature verification by the Arizona Secretary of State and is likely to qualify for the November ballot. 

For more information, contact AnnaMarie Knorr at (602) 451-0658.