Airport Commission Approves Minimum Wage of $10 An Hour

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) - The commission that oversees the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport has approved a plan to raise airport wages to at least $10 an hour.

Reports say that the Metropolitan Airports Commission approved the plan Monday after three hours of debate.

The current minimum wage in Minnesota is $9 an hour.

Labor activists wanted a $15-an-hour minimum wage for airport workers.

But business interests said singling out one industry for a higher wage was a terrible policy.

Ben Gerber with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce said the wage debate needs to be continued on a statewide basis, not regionally or locally.

About 2,700 workers at Minneapolis airport would be affected by the proposal, including aircraft cleaners, wheelchair pushers and cart drivers.