Nearly 8 Million Americans to get a Raise Beginning January 1 Thanks to Ballot Measures

WASHINGTON, DC – Despite 15 years of stalled federal efforts to raise the minimum wage, nearly 8 million hardworking people across America will be getting raises starting January 1, 2025. This achievement, driven by state ballot measure campaigns backed by the Fairness Project since 2016, means that workers in eight states who utilized direct democracy to secure higher pay will see billions in increased wages in 2025.

“It’s no surprise that American workers have time and time again chosen to vote themselves a raise. Minimum wage ballot measures are popular with voters because while Congress has failed to act, workers can’t wait,” said Kelly Hall, Executive Director of the Fairness Project, the country’s leading ballot measure organization.

In the 2024 election, the Fairness Project achieved significant victories by supporting winning minimum wage ballot measures in Missouri and Alaska, paving the way for higher wages for over half a million workers in the coming year. In Missouri, nearly 1.7 million voters approved a raise to $15 per hour by 2026, along with earned paid sick days. Meanwhile, this election marked the Fairness Project’s inaugural campaign in Alaska, where voters decisively endorsed a $15 minimum wage, earned paid sick days, and additional worker protections. 

In addition to Alaska and Missouri, the states that will see raises starting in January thanks to Fairness Project-backed ballot measure campaigns are Arizona, California, Colorado, Maine, Nebraska, and Washington. 

“American voters have said loud and clear that wages are not keeping pace with rising costs, and they want their elected leaders to take action. Luckily, ballot measures give citizens the power to raise wages when politicians in Washington won’t do their jobs,” Hall concluded.

Below is a full list of Fairness Project victories on minimum wage.

Alaska Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Time (2024)
The Fairness Project worked with the Better Jobs Alaska campaign to pass a ballot measure that raised the minimum wage and guaranteed access to paid sick time for working Alaskans. Voters there successfully passed Measure 1, which will guarantee a gradual raising of the minimum wage to $15 an hour and the right for workers to earn 5-7 days of paid sick time per year to help care for themselves and their children. Until now, the minimum wage in Alaska has been $11.73 per hour, or about $24,000 a year.

Missouri Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Time (2024)
The Fairness Project worked with the Missourians for Healthy Families & Fair Wages campaign to pass a ballot measure that raised the minimum wage and guaranteed access to paid sick time for working Missourians. Voters in the state passed Proposition A by a margin of 57.6% to 42.4%, which will guarantee a gradual raise of the minimum wage to $15 an hour and the right for workers to earn one hour of paid sick time per 30 hours of work to help care for themselves and their families.

Tucson, Arizona Minimum Wage (2021)
The Fairness Project worked with the Tucson Fight for $15 campaign to pass a ballot measure to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. The ballot measure, Proposition 206, was approved by voters on November 2, 2021 by a 63%-37% margin.

Massachusetts Minimum Wage (2018)
The Fairness Project worked with Raise Up Massachusetts and provided early contributions to help raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. The ballot measure campaign, and its successful signature collection effort, led to the passage of legislation to enact the increase and enact paid family and medical leave. The minimum wage gradually increased from $11 an hour in 2018 to $15 an hour in 2023.

Missouri Minimum Wage (2018)
In 2018, The Fairness Project worked with local partners to pass a ballot measure that increased the minimum wage from $7.85 an hour in 2018 to $12 an hour in 2023 for 677,000 Missourians.

Arkansas Minimum Wage (2018)
The Fairness Project supported the Arkansans for a Fair Wage campaign to pass a ballot initiative to increase the minimum wage in the state from $8.50 an hour in 2018 to $11 an hour in 2021. The measure, Issue 5, was approved by voters by a margin of 68%-32% and has raised wages for more than 300,000 people.

Maine Minimum Wage (2016)
The Fairness Project worked with local partners on a ballot initiative to gradually increase the minimum wage in the state of Maine. The signature collection effort and ballot measure campaign led to the passage of legislation that increased the minimum wage from $7.50 in 2016 to $12 an hour in 2020 for 181,000 Mainers.

Arizona Minimum Wage and Paid Leave (2016)
The Fairness Project worked with Arizonans for Fair Wages and Healthy Families on a ballot initiative to increase the minimum wage to $12 an hour for 779,000 Arizonans, and bring 40 hours of sick leave per year to employees of large companies, and 24 hours of sick leave per year to employees of small companies, affecting 934,000 Arizonans. After the wage hit $12 an hour in 2020, the measure called for annual adjustments to keep pace with the cost of living. The Fair Wages & Healthy Families Act was voted into law November 8, 2016 by a margin of 59%-41%.

California Minimum Wage (2016)
The Fairness Project worked with the Lift Up California coalition on a ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour for 6 million Californians. After the campaign collected the 365,880 signatures needed to qualify for the ballot, Gov. Jerry Brown and the California legislature enacted the $15 per hour wage. Both Brown and legislative leaders said publicly that the new law was in direct response to the minimum wage initiative qualifying for the ballot.

Colorado Minimum Wage (2016)
The Fairness Project helped win a ballot measure, Amendment 70, to raise the minimum wage from $8.31 per hour in 2016 to $12 per hour in 2020, delivering pay increases for nearly 500,000 Coloradan workers. Voters approved the measure by a margin of 55%-45%.

Washington Minimum Wage and Paid Leave (2016)
The Fairness Project worked with Raise Up Washington on a ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage for workers age 18 and over from $9.47 an hour in 2016 to $13.50 an hour in 2020 for 1 million Washingtonians. The initiative also provided paid sick leave for 1 million workers. Initiative 1433 was voted into law Nov. 8, 2016 by a margin of 58%-42%.