Santa
Barbara Passes Living Wage Ordinance
The City of Santa Barbara passed a Living Wage Ordinance which
applies to all workers whose work is contracted to the City
in contracts
over $15,000 a year. After striving for 6 years with City government
and being turned down once, the second time has been charm for
the coalition, Santa Barbara for a Living Wage.
The coaltion partners include PUEBLO (People United for Economic
justice Building Leadership through Organizing), CLUE (Clergy and
Laity United for Economic justice), La Casa de la Raza, Democratic
Central Committee, El Congreso, SBCAN (Santa Barbara Community
Action Network), SEIU locals 535 and 620, SB Women's Political
Committee,
and 17 other organizations. There has been a steering committee
of about 12 people for the past year and a half who have met with
many
people associated in some way with Living Wages and it's implementation.
The original Coaltion for a Living Wage which began about 6 years
ago includes some of those same people.
So this has been a victory long in the making and Santa Barbara
for a Living Wage is to be congratulated for its persistence and
enthusiasm.
The ordinance begins with a number of “whereas's”:
WHEREAS, minimum wage laws benefit employers and the local economy
as a whole by improving employee performance, reducing employee
turnover, lowering work
absenteeism, and thereby improving productivity and the quality of the services
provided by employees; and
WHEREAS, improving the productivity and performance of employees
working on City contracts directly benefits the public;and
WHEREAS, local minimum wage laws for government contracts also
assure workers the means and leisure to participate in civic
life and pursue educational and
cultural opportunities and thereby strengthen the fabric of our community;
and many others.
The ordinance applies to companies who do at least $15,000 yearly
business with the City, but not non-profit service providers
or grantees, nor recreation
providers.
It also does not apply to City workers because they are already covered by
the Service Employees International Union. There is a proposed incentives program
which would apply to City Block Grantees, but will be implemented a little
later.
The required wage would depend on the level of benefits being
provided by the employer. Level 1 is $14/hour wage. However,
if they pay for a health plan
and 12 days off per year, they can pay $12/hour. More benefits and better health
coverage and they can pay $11/hour.
The affected companies would include about 180 contractors now
subcontracted to the City. Many of them already pay the requested
Living Wage, and it is
not clear how much more in “pass thru” costs the City will be paying,
if at all, for these contracts. Some cities with such ordinances do not have
any “pass thru” costs from companies to the city government. The
belief of the City Finance committee is that it will not be excessive.
With the high cost of living , (one of the highest in the country)
many workers feel delighted to have this new opportunity
to receive a Living Wage so they
don't have to be on government subsidies while working full time.
Das Williams, SB City Council, voted for the
Living Wage ordinance along with Grant House, Iya Falcone, Helene
Schneider and Mayor Marty Blum
Daraka Larrimore-Hall thanks the City Council
for their hard work and good faith in bringing about the proposal
for a Living Wage Ordinance.
Before the ordinance is voted on, it already
includes some amendments. A two year review will be conducted
and the ordinance may need to be revised again.
SB City Hall Chambers were filled with mostly
supporters of the Living Wage ordinance, and a few business people.
Ester Aguilera, from PUEBLO, one of the coalition
partners of Santa Barbara for a Living Wage, urges the council
to adopt the ordinance even though it does not include everything
her organization wants.
