Duke will increase its minimum wage for employees and contract workers to $15 per hour by 2019.
The increase from the current $13 per hour minimum will occur in intervals, according to a Duke Today release. The minimum wage for all employees will increase to $14 on July 1, 2018 and will then rise to $15 per hour by July 1, 2019.
“Duke has a longstanding commitment to providing a total compensation package that recognizes and rewards the talented people who continue to make this institution a national leader,” President Vincent Price said in the release. “This starts with pay, which is why we are moving forward with these increases, but it also includes benefits such as health insurance, retirement, and paid time away. Our goal always is for Duke to be the best place to work in North Carolina.”
The increases throughout the next two years will cover more than 2,300 staff members. The rise by 2019 will mark a 37 percent increase in Duke’s minimum wage since 2015.
Duke, the largest employer in Durham, raised its minimum wage from $10.91 to $12 per hour in 2015 and then up to $13 per hour in 2017. The state and federal wage minimum wage is $7.25.
The newest increase will cover all regular University and Health System staff who work at least 20 hours per week and 36 weeks per year. It will also apply to outside contractors that employ people who work on Duke's campus.
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