Amazon Raises Minimum Wage to $15 for All Employees
*By Carlo Versano*
Amazon said Tuesday it will raise the minimum wage for all its workers in the U.S. to $15 an hour.
The e-commerce giant announced in a [blog post](https://blog.aboutamazon.com/working-at-amazon/amazon-raises-minimum-wage-to-15-for-all-us-employees) that the change would be effective Nov. 1, include all full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees and that there would be no conditions attached to the raise.
Further, Jay Carney, the former Obama press secretary who heads Amazon ($AMZN) corporate affairs, said the company will advocate for an increase in the federal minimum wage, which has been at $7.25 since 2009.
The company said 250,000 employees and 100,000 seasonal hires will benefit from the changes. Whole Foods employees, who have begun organizing for a union, will be included. Amazon bought Whole Foods last year for nearly $14 billion.
In a press release, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said, "We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we wanted to lead."
Amazon has been under increasing pressure from Congress, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), over wages and work conditions at its fulfillment centers.
Orlando, FL Mayor Buddy Dyer spoke with Cheddar News about what's in store this summer for his city as Memorial Day weekend kicks off next week and how his administration is navigating certain political challenges.
Teva Pharmaceuticals saw shares rise during Thursday's session after announcing its growth strategy. Richard Francis, president and CEO of Teva Pharmaceuticals, joined Cheddar News to discuss its pipeline of products that the company expects to help revenue.
Brian Jacobsen, chief economist with Annex Wealth Management, joined Cheddar News to discuss the positive sessions for the stock market as investors were optimistic of a debt ceiling deal ahead of the June 1 deadline.
The Walt Disney Co. says it's scrapping plans to build a new campus in central Florida and relocate 2,000 employees from Southern California to work in digital technology, finance and product development.
