Labor & Business

How Barrington municipal employees got bumped to $15 min wage for 2022

“Human time and effort is worth at least $15 an hour,” said Barrington Town Councilmember Jacob Brier.

Rhode Island News: How Barrington municipal employees got bumped to $15 min wage for 2022

January 3, 2022, 2:08 pm

By Steve Ahlquist

70,000 Rhode Islanders will enjoy a small increase in their paychecks this week as the minimum wage rises from $11.50 to $12.25 an hour. Legislation passed last session by the Rhode Island General Assembly will gradually raise the minimum wage in the state until it reaches $15 on January 1, 2025. This places Rhode Island workers $2 behind those in Massachusetts, who, starting on January 1 began making $14.25 an hour, and Connecticut, where the current $13 minimum wage is on track to rise to $15 by June 1, 2023.

Minimum wage municipal workers in Barrington, Rhode Island, however, will get to $15 faster much faster, thanks to a new policy approved by the Barrington Town Council at its December 6th meeting.

State law passed during the regime of House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello prevents municipalities from raising the minimum wage within their borders. But the state cannot prevent individual cities and towns from establishing their own labor and payment policies. So Barrington municipal leaders are free to pay their employees above minimum wage if they so choose.

From a press release:

Councilmembers Jacob Brier and Carl Kustell presented the Council with a proposal to raise the minimum wage for town employees from the state minimum $12.25/hr to $15 per hour. Before passing with a 4-1 vote, Council members, Town officials, and one member of the public weighed in during a thoughtful debate, voicing both support and opposition.

All members of the Council expressed support for year-round positions, including those that are part-time, being protected with a higher minimum wage. The subject of debate was whether that minimum wage would apply to seasonal or temporary jobs, and those filled by young employees who work as Library Pages at the Barrington Public Library. Those students working in the library are currently not protected by the state’s minimum wage, and may earn as little as $10 per hour.

Both Kustell and Brier spoke in support of maintaining an inclusive policy, and not separating some groups of jobs from others. Councilor Kustell began the discussion by noting that “we’ve seen an exacerbation of income inequality,” nationally, and “a recognition by the broader public that the federal minimum wage is nowhere near a livable wage.” Kustell highlighted that other municipalities and the federal government have established a $15 per hour minimum wage for their respective employees.

“Human time and effort is worth at least $15 an hour,” responded Councilor Brier when asked why he believed in a uniform policy, “regardless of experience or how much you need to earn.” He commented during the meeting that to carve our certain exclusions may cross the line into a management decision, whereas setting a policy that applies uniformly is within the Council’s legislative scope.

The Council President, Michael Carroll, noted the importance of the symbolism of Barrington paying workers a livable wage, and for that reason expressed his support of Kustell’s and Brier’s motion.

Raising pay rates for the town’s lowest paid jobs is expected to cost taxpayers less than $30,000 per year, including the associated payroll taxes. This figure is lower than the first time it was proposed, at $35,000, in a motion filed by Councilor Brier for Barrington’s 2019 Financial Town Meeting.

The policy will take effect with the new fiscal year, beginning July 1, 2022.


You can watch video of the proceedings here: