DuPage Township Board OK’s minimum wage increase for employees to $15 per hour

The DuPage Township board voted last month to increase the minimum wage paid to township employees to $15 per hour, citing the need to better compete with local employers.

Supervisor Gary Marschke said in a news release announcing the raise that the township has lost “valuable staff” to other employers who pay higher wages. He said Amazon, which has multiple facilities in Will County, is hiring workers with a starting pay of more than $17 per hour.

The Democratic board voted for the change and argued it was both necessary and “in step with most Americans, who have expressed broad support.”

“The Board understands that the current minimum wage is too low to keep families out of poverty,” Trustee Reem Townsend said in a statement.

Democrats were elected into office in April after years of Republican control in DuPage Township.

Trustee Debra Savage added in a statement, “We want our employees to understand that they are appreciated and that the work they do for residents in our township is valued.”