Jonathan Rosenblum is a union and community organizer in Seattle. His first book, on labor organizing, will be published by Beacon Press in spring 2017. At Alternet he writes—Most Americans Won't Make $15 an Hour for Five Years—But Why Not Now, Like in This City?
Millions of workers across the country have won wage hikes under the banner of $15, and this week many more in California stand poised to join the parade. But three and a half years after the first picket sign was hoisted demanding $15/hour and union recognition, very few minimum wage workers are actually getting paid that much. That’s because among those crafting wage legislation, it’s become an axiom that increases must be phased in over time for the sake of business and economic stability. California Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez reflects a prevailing establishment view that what’s needed is “a reasonable, measured approach that would prevent sticker shock for businesses.”
Newly adopted $15 minimum wage laws have been unveiled with great fanfare and media coverage. But lost in the headlines is the reality that because of phase-in schedules, workers won’t actually see $15/hour in their pay for three, five or even seven years—at which point the buying power will have been eroded by rent hikes and the rising cost of living.
Even many progressives have accepted the phase-in feature as a reality of the political landscape. But should we? The first successful voter initiative campaign for $15 demonstrates that many businesses require no such relief. In the last month the Fight for $15 quietly achieved a historic milestone: The first law providing $15/hour wages to private-sector workers went fully into effect.
In the latest paychecks given out at SeaTac International Airport, workers saw significant pay jumps, generally between $3/hour and $5.77/hour, bringing them to the new legal minimum of $15.24/hour for jobs in and around Seattle’s airport. The new wages leapfrog SeaTac workers ahead of their counterparts who will achieve $15/hour down the road—Seattle (2017-2021, with most reaching the wage in 2019 or later), San Francisco (2018), Los Angeles (2020), New York fast-food workers (late 2018, mid-2021). The proposed statewide California law would reach $15/hour in 2022 or 2023. [...]
The 2013 SeaTac initiative was the first $15 measure in the nation to go before voters or a legislative body. Inspired by the earlier demand of New York fast food workers for “$15 and a union,” the SeaTac initiative went far beyond wages. In addition to raising minimum pay to $15/hour immediately and indexing it to inflation, the voter-approved law provides for paid sick leave, job security for contract workers, protection of workers’ tips, and the right to full-time work for those trapped in part-time positions.
Notably, unlike other minimum wage hikes that have been adopted in municipalities and states since 2013, the SeaTac law isn’t phased in over several years. It mandated that beginning in January 2014, employers immediately raise pay for their workers to $15/hour, plus inflation. [...]
By winning $15 immediately, the SeaTac workers have challenged the myth that workers must be moderate in pressing economic demands or risk business collapse. They’ve demonstrated to workers everywhere that it’s indeed possible to take on and overcome the most entrenched of corporate interests—not by trying to mollify business anxiety with compromises, but by unapologetically asserting their due and holding to it.
HIGH IMPACT STORIES • TOP COMMENTS
FFS DU JOUR
Joe Linkins: Oh, for sure. It’s just “whining,” this whole not having a legal remedy to getting one’s vote stolen. And it’s especially déclassé, this “whining,” because the turnout in this particular primary election is slated to be so high. I’m not sure if Scarborough truly understands how voting actually works. It doesn’t occur to him that maybe you could have especially high voter turnout and an especially high rate of stolen votes simultaneously. It’s also not clear how these voters will get their votes back if they cease all “whining.”
It’s sufficient to say that Scarborough does not know what he’s talking about, an evergreen news story if there ever was. [...]
That Wisconsin’s voter restrictions prevent predominantly poor and minority citizens from doing do is the reason the voter restrictions exist in the first place. But voter turnout is high and as long as Scarborough’s affluent white peers are counted, the rest is just whining.
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TWEET OF THE DAY
BLAST FROM THE PAST
At Daily Kos on this date in 2011—Ryan budget ignores CBO, reality, says health care repeal will reduce deficit:
The non-partisan, number crunching CBO has long since become a major nuisance for the GOP, since many of its conclusions about the realities of the budget run counter to GOP budget truthiness. That's the case again in the so-called "Path to Prosperity," Rep. Paul Ryan's plan to weed the nation of the elderly, the sick, and the disabled so the rich people can get even more stuff.
In the case of this budget proposal, Ryan conveniently ignores the fact that the CBO says repealing the Affordable Care Act won't reduce the deficit.
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On today’s Kagro in the Morning show: Greg Dworkin preps for WI & the return of delegate math. Shock-jock racists who vape demand own genre: welcome “alt-right!” Trump lays out his wall financing plan. Still pondering caucuses & reform ideas.
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