Boost in minimum wage going to municipal ballot next May

A minimum-wage ballot initiative covering employees of most businesses operating at Denver International Airport has been cleared for the May 7 municipal election.

The Denver Elections Division certified Monday that the union-backed Denver Airport Minimum Wage Initiative met the petition signature threshold. If approved by voters in the spring, the initiative would require most contractors and other employers with more than 30 employees at DIA to pay a minimum wage of $13 an hour, ratcheting up to $15 by mid-2021. It wouldn’t apply to government employees.

Separately, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock announced last week that he is considering a broader $15an-hour minimum wage for all city employees as well as those who work for city contractors and vendors or at city facilities, including DIA.

Hancock, who is seeking re-election in 2019, is expected to review findings and recommendations from advisers early next year.

It’s possible the components of his plan will overlap with the ballot initiative.

The initiative campaign, spearheaded by the Unite Here union, submitted 17,388 signatures on its ballot petitions in late October. Denver Elections verified that 10,727 came from registered Denver voters, more than double the 4,726 needed, according to a letter signed by Clerk and Recorder Debra Johnson.