Memphis city workers are closer to a wage floor that could finally push some of the city’s lowest-paid public employees above $22 an hour. The agreement is still tentative and needs City Council action, so the promised raise is not quite in anyone’s paycheck yet.
According to Action News 5, AFSCME Local 1733 and the mayor’s office reached an agreement to establish a $22 hourly baseline for union workers, while sanitation workers would receive a 5% increase. The changes are scheduled to take effect October 1 if approved by the Memphis City Council.
The city’s current pay tables show why the new floor matters for workers in everyday municipal jobs. The City of Memphis pay plan lists hourly rates around $19.23 for custodians, cooks, messengers and traffic counters, $20.33 for semiskilled crewpersons, and $21.39 for equipment operators.
Why $22 Matters In Memphis
The tentative deal follows a bruising 2025 dispute over city employee compensation. In a statement released last year, AFSCME Local 1733 said some of Memphis’ lowest-paid workers were earning about $15 an hour and accused the city of backing away from a previously negotiated package that included a larger raise and a $5,000 bonus.
Michael Ward, an environmental enforcement officer and Local 1733 member, said the workers take pride in serving Memphis and that a living wage would help them support their families. Ward’s comments were included in Action News 5’s report on the agreement.
The deal also carries particular weight in Memphis, where Local 1733 traces its history to the city’s 1968 sanitation strike, according to the union’s history of the organization. That legacy makes a fight over sanitation pay more than a routine line item in a municipal budget.
Another Chapter In Memphis’ Public Worker Pay Fight
The latest agreement builds on earlier gains for Memphis-area public employees. In 2024, AFSCME reported that city and county workers had secured bonuses of $5,000 along with raises of at least 5%, while Solid Waste employees saw increases ranging from 6% to 34%.
For now, Tuesday’s council meeting is the next hurdle between the tentative agreement and the new pay floor. If lawmakers approve it, October 1 will mark the start of a wage change that Memphis workers have been pressing city officials to deliver for years.
