On August 28, 2015, Mayor of St. Louis Francis Slay and the Board of Aldermen passed a new ordinance that would gradually increase the minimum wage in the city of St. Louis to $11.00 by January 1, 2018. The ordinance called for the minimum wage to increase to $8.25 on October 15, 2015.
However, a group of businesses and industry groups have recently filed a lawsuit to challenge the new municipal law. Circuit Judge Steven Ohmer has been assigned to hear the case. He recently denied a request by the plaintiffs for a temporary restraining order and set the matter for trial.
Pursuant to the ordinance, the minimum wage in the City of St. Louis would increase according to the following schedule:
| Effective Date | Covered Employees |
| Oct. 15, 2015 | $8.25 |
| Jan. 1, 2016 | $9.00 |
| Jan. 1, 2017 | $10.00 |
| Jan. 1, 2018 | $11.00 |
The ordinance applies to every employer that maintains a business facility or operates within the city with more than fifteen (15) employees. The law would count all employees working on part-time, full-time, or temporary basis. In addition, individuals employed through a staffing or employment agency would also be covered under the minimum wage ordinance.
The law excludes various entities whose annual gross revenues made or business done is less than $500,000.
Unless delayed by court rulings, by October 15, 2015, City of St. Louis employers must post a notice informing employees of the current minimum wage and their rights under the ordinance. Moreover, the ordinance requires notice with each covered employee’s first paycheck after the annual wage increases go into effect.