Mercy boosts minimum wage

Mercy is committing $18 million annually toward a systemwide minimum wage hike.

The St. Louis-based health care system's minimum wage will increase to $15 per hour on Sept. 19, according to a news release. The system’s current minimum wage was not disclosed in the release, and a spokesperson could not be reached by deadline.

The increase impacts more than 6,000 co-workers’ pay and affects all of the health care system's locations, including Mercy Hospital Springfield. Mercy operates in Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

“We decided to make the transition immediately, rather than in stages, because this critical decision can positively affect so many lives and families,” said Lynn Britton, Mercy president and CEO, in the release. “It is our prayer and hope that this will ease the financial stress of many co-workers, regardless of where they work in our ministry, and let them know what they do matters greatly to the patients and families we serve every day.”

Impacted employees include housekeepers, food service workers and lab technicians. The $15 per hour wage also will be the new minimum starting pay for employees.

Locally, Mercy Springfield Communities employs 9,139. The health care system ranked No. 2 on Springfield Business Journal's list of the area's largest employers, published July 19.

CoxHealth, which was No. 1 on the SBJ list, in February announced it was investing $4 million to increase its minimum wage to $12 per hour, according to past reporting.