LANSING, MI — As of Jan. 1, minimum wage is increasing from $9.87 to $10.10 per hour, but a pending lawsuit could up that number even more.
READ: Michigan's minimum wage jumps to $9.87
In 2018, a petition by “One Fair Wage" wanted to give voters the chance to decide if Michigan should raise its minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2022.
When the proposal was adopted, the legislature changed the language to increase the minimum wage to $12.05 by 2030, instead of 2022.
“The legislature enacted it in a way that may be inconsistent with the wishes of those voters. And the courts are trying to decide that right now,” said Paul Isely, associate dean of Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University.
The issue continues to play out in court; however, a final decision from the Michigan Court of Appeals is expected by February.
“The court battle right now going on about minimum wage would increase it to a little over $13 an hour if that court case was won,” Isely said.
Instead of $10.10, the minimum wage could up up to $13.03.
“Because we've had such an acceleration in the wages paid to low income workers since the start of the pandemic, either one of those is going to have a relatively small effect on the state of Michigan,” he said.
According to Isely, big businesses and fast food chains are already paying more than $13 an hour.
However, if that becomes the new minimum wage, small businesses will hurt the most.
READ MORE: Michigan minimum wage increasing 22 cents as workers struggle to make ends meet amid rising prices
