"Sky Didn't Fall"

[ Excerpt from SB Independent, 12/15/2005 ]


Surviving the wage:

Living Wage advocates developed a motto in the wake of a city staff report on its impacts. “The sky didn’t fall,” said councilmember Das Williams. Requiring private contractors working city projects to pay their employees at least $14 an hour – less if medical benefits were provided – will certainly cost the city a greater chunk of its budget.

Steve Cushman, representing the Chamber of Commerce, said the ordinance was “wrong” because it required pay not based on employee merit. The finance committee will do more research into how much allowance to make for medical benefits before passing the ordinance on to the City Council. Recreation contractors and nonprofit organizations are exempt from the ordinance as it is currently drafted.


newsoftheweek