|
Victories in the cities of Albany and Syracuse in 2005 reflect the increasing strength of living wage advocates. Implementation, enforcement and monitoring remain challenging, however. Click here for a summary of living wage ordinances and campaigns in New York state. Compiled by Trudi Renwick of the Fiscal Policy Institute, it details legislation in 7 cities and 2 counties along with proposed ordinances in one additional city and two additional counties. [Adobe Reader is necessary to print this PDF document.] Visit the Living Wage Resource Center maintained by ACORN for the latest news. LIVING WAGE ARCHIVES Revised living wage law passed by Buffalo Common Council Buffalo, NY Common Council members unanimously passed a new living wage law on July 22, 2003, ending a two-year court fight. According to the Coalition for Economic Justice, the revised law has "teeth" in that it creates an all-volunteer commission to take on the burden of implementation and enforcement. The week before the vote, supporters delivered red tape and plastic teeth to the offices of several Common Council members, symbolizing their effort to put teeth back into the law. The law mandates higher hourly wages than required by federal minimum-wage law for the lowest paid private-sector employees who work under contracts with the city. It applies to vendors with city contracts that exceed $50,000. At the news conference on July 22, 2003, CEJ attorney Stephen Halpern announced the organization's intentions to drop its lawsuit against the city of Buffalo and formally end litigation. "We agreed to end litigation once the City passed stronger, enforceable living wage legislation AND disclosed contracts covered by this Ordinance to the public. The city has completed the first step of passing the legislation, and they have committed to disclose the contracts by July 24. Assuming things progress as planned, we will be able to go to the judge on July 25 and formally end our litigation." Although a living wage ordinance passed in 1999, low-wage workers had seen no change. A State Supreme Court justice had set July 25 as the due date for a progress report on the status of the city's living wage law. On April 23, 2002, a judge ordered the city to provide information about affected employers as a result of a suit filed in by the Labor-Religion Coalition affiliate, Coalition for Economic Justice/ Jobs with Justice. Key assistance came from the Brennan Center, legal counsel to the national living wage movement. Call Maria Whyte at 716/ 892-5877 for more information. Elmira City Council tables proposed living wage Elmira City Council members voted not to vote following a public hearing on Monday, April 7, 2003. The City Council Chamber was standing-room-only with supporters and opponents of the proposed living wage ordinance. According to Cindy Hale of the Southern Tier Labor-Religion Coalition (607/ 734-9784, ext.134), "The living wage movement is like a determined spring of water--you can pave over it, but it will not be stifled." New York City Living Wage Ordinance signed into law A living wage ordinance that covers more workers than any other such law in the country was signed into law by NYC Mayor Bloomberg on November 27, 2002. According to ACORN's Living Wage Resource Center, the law will apply to about 50,000 employees of service contractors doing business with the city, principally health care workers, as well as a handful of day care, food service and disability service workers. The initial living wage is set at $8.10 plus health benefits or $9.60 if benefits are not provided by the employer. The wage rate will rise in two steps until it reaches $10.00 an hour in July of 2006. Led by ACORN and the Working Families Party, the campaign also involved the NYC Labor-Religion Coalition. Members of two City Council committees heard from faith leaders and other living wage supporters on April 23, 2002. Over 150 persons attended the hearing. For details see the testimony submitted by the Brennan Center for Justice available at www.brennancenter.org. Contact Rabbi Michael Feinberg, staff person of the Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition, at 212/ 406-2156, ext. 4637 for news about continuing Coalition activities relating to the living wage. A New York Times article from May 19, 2002 examines the effects of living wage laws across the country as well as the proposed law in New York City. Living wage goes into effect in Suffolk County on July 1, 2002 The law establishes a policy whereby businesses and their subcontractors receiving assistance from the county and employing 10 or more people, are required to pay a living wage. Click here for the Suffolk County Living Wage Law Information Fact Sheet. The site also provides Frequently Asked Questions, Forms, Rules and Regulations and the text of the law. A July 2, 2002, Newsday article described the effect of the $10.25 living wage now being paid by agencies with Suffolk County contracts. The County's Department of Labor said it would take about a year to determine the financial impact to the county, according to Newsday. The task force appointed by county officials issued its report this spring with the law "unscathed," according to task force member and co-chair of the Long Island Labor-Religion Coalition, Richard Koubek. Coalition administrator Ryland Gaines can be reached at 631/ 435-1658. Syracuse Common Council defeats living wage ordinance Living
wage proponents, led by the Central NY Labor-Religion Coalition, expressed huge
disappointment over the 6-3 vote on May 20. Mayor Matt Driscoll will appoint a
special commission to study the impact of a living wage on city finances, local
businesses and affected workers. Over 40 speakers testified at an open hearing
on May 14. The letters page of the Post-Standard on May 8 was headlined
"All for the Living Wage." Pre-campaign planning Utica Members from the Labor-Religion Coalition of the Mohawk Valley are part of an effort to determine a self-sufficiency wage appropriate for Utica. Contact Debra Hagenbuch at 315/ 735-6101 for an update. In Rochester, full implementation depends on success at county level Contractors
and subcontractors receiving economic development funds will be required to pay
a living wage once a county living wage law is passed. Call Michael Roberts (716/
262-7167), staff person with the Rochester Labor-Religion Coalition, for information
about the county effort. City Council members passed a city ordinance in January
2001. Want to know more? See The BLACK CoMMentator, a new on-line journal, for the "The Living Wage Movement: A New Beginning." The journal will treat the living wage movement as a regular beat. Click here to see "'Living Wage' Laws Reducing Poverty Levels, Study Shows, " a March 14 Los Angeles Times article about the study conducted by Michigan State University economist David Neumark. LIVING WAGE ARCHIVES The Living Wage Campaign in Syracuse, NY The campaign sponsored a conference in October 2001 featuring Robert Pollin, economist and author of The Living Wage-Building a Fair Economy, and Trudi Renwick, an expert on self-sufficiency wage scales. Mini-sessions included "Faith Perspectives on the Living Wage" and "Why Living Wage Ordinances are Good for Business". The campaign has a brochure, buttons and a banner featuring the Syracuse skyline. Advocates have crafted the language of the ordinance itself in response to local concerns. Suffolk County Living Wage Implementation
a National Model The plan recommends allocation of $3.5 million to help employers pay living wages for the final six months of 2002. It also recommends adding three staff members in the county department of labor to assist with enforcement. The living wage bill passed in July 2001 and will go into effect in July 2002. Workers employed under county contracts or in projects subsidized by the county will receive minimum hourly wages of $9 with health benefits or $10.25 without. "If you're going to advocate for a living wage, you are going to have to deal with government flat funding and under funding of not-for-profit agencies that provide social services. Otherwise it's just feel-good legislation. For example, the meals on wheels program in Suffolk County has been flat funded for 15 years!" said Koubek. © New York State Labor-Religion Coalition |