MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Supreme Court has upheld the City of Minneapolis' authority to impose a minimum wage that's higher than the states.
The ruling follows three years of legal fighting over the $15 minimum wage and is seen as a victory for laborers and the city.
The manufacturing and supplies company, Graco Inc., sued in 2017 to try to block the $15 wage from taking effect, according to the Star Tribune.
Graco argued it would create a patchwork of compensation standards because of the state's $10 minimum wage for large businesses.
The Supreme Court said in its ruling that the 'Legislature did not intend to occupy the field of minimum-wage rates' and because the city's rate would not prevent employers from complying with the lower state rate, Minneapolis' ordinance could stand.
Minneapolis was the first Midwestern city to adopt a $15 per hour minimum wage, which will be phased in gradually until it peaks in 2024.
