As many as 23,500 Portland workers could eventually see a wage increase under the new ordinance, including 14,000 workers making less than $15 an hour, according to the Maine Center for Economic Policy, a left-leaning research and advocacy group.
It is not clear how many workers would be qualified to received hazard pay this winter. The provision would effectively create a temporary $18 minimum wage for workers who are required to report to Portland workplaces during the emergency. It would not apply to those who work remotely.