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***Louisville Living Wage Campaign*** At the State and national level, they're talking about raising the minimum wage. At the local level, we need to enforce the minimum wage. Below is a summary of Living Wage Legislation that is currently before the Jobs & Economic Development Committee: AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTIONS 37.55(B) AND (C) OF THE LOUISVILLE / JEFFERSON COUNTY METRO GOVERNMENT CODE OF ORDINANCES ('LMCO')TO INCREASE THE MINIMUM WAGE FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE LOUISVILLE / JEFFERSON COUNTY METRO GOVERNMENT ("METRO GOVERNMENT") Unfortunately, the Living Wage Ordinance has again been tabled by the Jobs & Economic Development Committee. Call the Committee Members before their next meeting on January 4th Jobs & Economic Development Committee: Hal Heiner, District 19 (R), Chair 574.1119 Judy Green, District 1 (D) 574.1101 David Tandy, District 4 (D) 574.1104 Tom Owen, District 8 (D) 574.1108 Marianne Butler, District 15 (D) 574.1115 Kelly Downard, District 16 (R) 574.1116 Stuart Benson, District 20 (R) 574.1120 Past Headlines Metro Council passes budget that includes a Living Wage of $11.50 hourly rate of pay for 57 non-union employees. Kentucky Jobs With Justice and AFSCME Local 2629 were instrumental in supporting this worker friendly legislation. Thank you to Joni Jenkins, State Representative and member of the KY Workers' Rights Board and Metro Councilwoman Mary Woolridge for their support of this legislation. What is a Living Wage Ordinance? A living wage ordinance requires employers to pay wages that are above federal and state minimum wage levels. Only a specific set of workers are covered by living wage ordinances, usually those employed by businesses that have a contract with a city or county government or those who receive economic development subsidies from the locality. The rationale behind the ordinance is that city and county governments should not contract with or subsidize employers who pay poverty-level wages. Read the Louisville Living Wage Campaign Fact Sheet for more information. Why do we need a Living Wage? · Living wage ordinances provide raises for low-income families. · Living wage ordinances ensure that pay for contractual workers does not fall behind pay of city workers. · Living wage ordinances promote responsible economic development policies. When Work Doesn't Pay In Metro Louisville, neither a police officer nor a nurse can afford to buy a median priced home at current wage levels. In 2004, fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Metro Louisville increased by $33, while wages only increased by $25. This means a minimum wage worker in Louisville Metro had to work 79 hours per week to afford a two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent, a figure up 4 hours from 2003. The affordable housing gap here is growing wider, and local wages just aren’t enough to address the situation. Did You Know? · In 2005, 8,626 households rely on Section 8 vouchers from the Louisville Metro Housing Authority. · Since 1999, the number of people living in poverty in Jefferson County has increased from 84,114 to 97,425. · 42% of all renters in this region pay more than 30% of their household incomes on rent, yet the production of affordable rental housing remains relatively stagnant. for more information contact the Metropolitan Housing Coalition at (502) 584-6858 ...the current status of Living Wage in Louisville... On August 28th, 2001 the City of Louisville entered a new era for worker's rights. The Louisville Living Wage Coalition descended upon City Hall to fight for increased wages for many of the City employees and the companies that work for the City. In 2002, the first Living Wage ordinance was passed in the City (Series 2002, Ordinance 12). That ordinance was replaced in 2003 by Louisville Ordinance No. 91-2003, which currently establishes a minimum wage for Metro government employees at $9.00 / hour, provided the employee is full-time (non-seasonal employees working 35 hours / week). The current ordinance only affects 4 out of 8,533 Metro Government employees. The fight has been renewed! Join us at a Living Wage Strategy Session: *June 30th *July 14th *July 28th Strategy Sessions are held at IBEW (4315 Preston Highway, Suite 101, Louisville) First stop: the City, next stop: the County, final stop: the nation! | |||
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