Minimum-wage ballot initiative seems like a no-brainer
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
If ballot measure No. 1 passes, city contractors and subcontractors would be required to pay their employees a minimum wage of $12 an hour — far above the state minimum of $7.25 an hour.
Philadelphia is the country’s poorest big city, with almost a third of residents living below the poverty line, according to recent Census figures examined by the Inquirer and Temple University.
Fortunately, some workers employed at Philadelphia International Airport will soon take home a paycheck they can actually live on. And a new campaign in the fast-food industry could eventually lead to major wage gains in Philly and across the country. These are two major local employers who currently pay thousands of their workers at or near minimum wage.
On Tuesday, voters have a chance to pass a Charter Amendment that will make a big difference for about 3,500 airport workers and others. If ballot measure No. 1 passes, city contractors and subcontractors would be required to pay their employees a minimum wage of $12 an hour, effective Jan. 1, 2015 — far above the state minimum of $7.25 an hour.
This measure seems like a no-brainer to me, and for once, Mayor Nutter actually seems to agree. Last week, in a move that surprised almost everyone, he signed an executive order that implements this wage raise ahead of the election. Voting yes on ballot measure No. 1 would still make a difference though, because a Charter Amendment would be harder for future administrations to change.
This is a big win for groups like Philadelphians Organized to Witness, Empower and Rebuild (POWER), and unions SEIU 32BJ and UNITE HERE, who have spent more than four years campaigning to improve wages and working conditions for airport workers, who earn an average of $7.85 an hour. (They will be paid $10.88/hour within a few weeks and their pay will rise to $12/hour on Jan. 1) It also bodes well for other low-wage workers who are fighting for their fair share.
On Thursday, workers in fast-food restaurants are planning a one-day strike across Philly as they push for an industry-wide wage of $15 an hour and the right to form a union.
The Fight for 15 Campaign now spans dozens of cities around the country and world. Fast-food workers know the industry can afford to pay them a decent wage. The average compensation of fast-food CEOs has quadrupled in real terms since 2000 while industry workers are the lowest paid in the economy, according to a recent study by public-policy organization Demos.
In 2012, Social Security Administration numbers show that 40 percent of American wage earners made less than $20,000. Philly could do a whole lot better.
