Employees working under some 300 Denver city and county contracts will be entitled to a $15 per hour minimum wage under a measure approved unanimously on Monday night by the City Council.

“The wage gap has kept people in poverty and threatens the ability of working families to meaningfully participate in the economic prosperity cities like Denver are experiencing,” Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said of the measure.

“This proposal was a critical step we could take as a city to ensure all our residents have equitable access to opportunity in Denver,” he added.

Denver also is considering a measure that would create a $15 per hour minimum wage in Denver for all city workers. That proposal – which Hancock has testified in favor of – will come before the council on March 19.

Kiki Turner of the Denver Department of Finance said the exact number of contractors and subcontractors who will be affected by the minimum wage measure is difficult to pinpoint.

Turner said one union estimated the number at 6,000. If the city employee minimum wage measure is adopted, it would affect about 1,800 employees, she said.

The Colorado minimum wage is currently $11.10 for all employees and $8.08 for tipped employees.