Living Wage Good For Elected Officials, But Not Good For Workers

In July 2010, a hearing was set for a bill proposed by Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke requiring retailers with gross sales over $10 million to pay workers a living wage of at least $10.59 per hour. Employers could take $2 off the wage if they use that money for employee benefits. Restaurants would be exempt under the bill.
After four hours of testimony from Labor Unions such as the Metropolitan Baltimore Council AFL-CIO, Religious Leaders, NAACP, Progressive Maryland, Community Activists, and Business Owners, the Baltimore City Council took its course and voted against the proposed living wage bill.
Councilman Warren Branch, chair of the three-member labor subcommittee, voted against the bill. Councilwoman Belinda Conaway voted in its favor; Councilman Nicholas D’Adamo was absent due to his parents’ poor health.
After the vote, The measure’s sponsor said she was “hopeful it could be resurrected”.
“This is too important to just let it die in committee,” Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke said. “It could have made a huge difference for thousands of families who live in Baltimore City. It could have lifted them out of poverty or at least taken them to the poverty line.”
“A family that works should be able to survive without having to go to their local house of worship pantry, and they should be able to survive without pulling government subsidies here or there,” said Mary Pat Clarke, City Council member.
The bill could have another chance if Branch asks for it to be reconsidered, or if eight of the 15 council members petition for it to come to the full body for a vote. Seven members have pledged their support. So far, she has signatures from Belinda Conaway, Sharon Green Middleton, Bill Henry, Carl Stokes and Bobby Curran, in addition to Council President Bernard Young. Council Vice-President Ed Reisinger has said he would vote for the bill, but would not sign a petition.
As Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke found the courage to fight for workers across the City of Baltimore, she was fortunate to have one ally.
“I’m sitting here in support of people trying to make it,” said Councilwoman Belinda Conaway of the 7th District.
While many people couldn’t understand how the purposed Living Wage Bill could fail or how anyone could vote against it, the Councilman that voted against the bill did get to express his opinion.
Branch, in an interview following the vote, said he supports the bill in principal and believes retail employees in the city should earn a fair wage for their labors. But he said the proposal was poorly timed in light of the recession and deep city budget cuts.
“I support everything in the bill,” Branch said. “My decision to vote against it was because of this economy, the way it is.”
The Living Wage bill could have forced more retailers to leave the city, and may have kept others from opening new stores in Baltimore, which would only make the city’s financial challenges greater. He said he would like to revisit the Living Wage bill once the economy recovers.
The question is when is the right time or when is the economy going to recover, could the right time really be when the economy recovers. How many more people could lose their homes and cars in this recession? How many more children can continue to not afford college tuition and expenses? They say “Drastic times, calls for drastic measures” and these are definitely drastic times.
In 1994, Baltimore became the first city in the nation to pass a living wage law for city contractors. Clarke, who spearheaded that legislation, said the process took 18 months. This was approximately the time after President George Bush Sr. had just got finish destroying our American economy and President Bill Clinton came into clean the mess up. It sounds like déjà vu to me!
Bishop Douglas Miles, leader of the BUILD interfaith coalition, said that the 1994 living wage law, which requires city contractors to pay workers an hourly rate set by the Board of Estimates, had raised similar fears. He said the problems predicted by opponents never materialized.
Our elected officials are going to have to begin to represent the interest of the people instead of the interest of Wall Street, Banks, Insurance Companies, and Corporate America. This has to happen because it’s Main Street that puts them there, not Wall Street!
Are they aware that they make a living wage? As of 2007 the annual salary for city council member was $57,000 for a part time job. Could it possibly be that they feel they are better than the citizens they are representing? Maybe they just don’t understand what it is like to live in poverty during tough economic times!
Source, The Baltimore Sun, The Baltimore Business Journal, WJZ, Maryland Politics