City Council approves 'living wage' (Los Angeles)

Los Angeles Times ^ | November 15, 2006 | Joe Mathews,

[Graybeard58]

The City Council today voted overwhelmingly to require hotels near Los Angeles International Airport to pay their employees wages and benefits equal to $10.64 per hour -- the first time that Los Angeles has demanded a "living wage" from businesses who have no financial relationship with the local government.

The 11-3 vote, with Councilmen Bernard Parks, Greig Smith and Dennis Zine in opposition, advances the bill but does not end the matter. The council must vote again next week — by a simple majority — to approve the measure, a step that supporters and opponents of the legislation consider to be a formality.

"This is a historic moment," said Councilman Bill Rosendahl, whose district includes the airport-area hotels and who actively supported the ordinance.

The vote also thrust the council into one of the most high-profile and contentious labor organizing battles in the country, with the city taking the side of the workers.

As part of a nationwide organizing effort, Unite Here, the union that represents hotel workers, has spent more than a year and hundreds of thousands of dollars attempting to organize about 3,500 low-wage workers at a dozen hotels near LAX, one of the largest collection of non-unionized hotel workers in the country.

The union has demanded that the hotels recognize it as the bargaining representative of the workers based on union cards signed by hotel employees. The hotels have aggressively fought that effort and demanded that workers submit to secret balloting.

The proposed ordinance dovetails with the union effort to create public pressure on the hotels to bargain.

[Graybeard58]

Signs of life in 'living wage' Hotel workers greet City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, right, after tentative approval of an ordinance to boost their pay to $10.64 per hour.

[nwrep]

WOW, $10.64 to clean toilets and straighten beds?

[Graybeard58]

Note this part:

the first time that Los Angeles has demanded a "living wage" from businesses who have no financial relationship with the local government.

[Jaysun]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: California, you get what you deserve. Anyone that chooses to live there will be punished the same as anyone who chooses to support such idiocy. That is to say, the liberals want to live there because they think they're creating a utopia. The Conservatives that continue to call California home have no excuse.

[operation clinton cleanup]

Wonder if there is a requirement that the "living wage" earner have a valid Social Security number? Didn't think so....

[LiteKeeper]

This is dangerous...and this is Socialism! This will be challenged in the courts!

[Darkwolf377]

"And here we are at the Race to Idiocy 500, and California has just edged out Massachusetts for the lead! The crowd is going wild as 'City Councilor' nudges right past 'Judicial Activism'! We're not even in the home stretch yet, folks, but already this is one of the most exciting Races to Idiocy yet!"

[Myrddin]

Time for the hotel to declare a "holiday". Close the doors, pass out the pink slips. No occupancy tax revenues for the city. Use the downtime to check the legal status of the unionized workers.

[Graybeard58]

No occupancy tax revenues for the city

Did you miss this part?

Los Angeles has demanded a "living wage" from businesses who have no financial relationship with the local government.

Sounds like they are making rules for businesses outside their jurisdiction to me.

[durasell]

It might (I said "might") work to push illegals out of some jobs in favor of documented and native born citizens.

[Andy from Beaverton]

Government gone wild!

[spikeytx86]

Exactly, If they are forced to pay a "Living Wage" they will hire workers who are worth it.

[MNJohnnie]

So when does the council plan to raise it to $15.00 an hour? Since $10.64 maybe the "living wage" now it will not be the living wage tomorrow.

How much is enough Socialists?

[kstewskis]

The 11-3 vote, with Councilmen Bernard Parks

didn't he used to be their useless police chief once?

[durasell]

Exactly, If they are forced to pay a "Living Wage" they will hire workers who are worth it.




...or the businesses will continue to break the law with illegals. Depends on how serious the local gov't is. If they start inspections and fines, then it could have a positive result.

[Blue Collar Republican]

I just read this in my email... November 14, 2006 For Immediate Release: Greg Zinone, Communications Director Tony Dolz, CA 41st Assembly District ex-candidate; Minuteman founding member www.dolz.com (818) 371-1283 and (310) 371 7500 On September 28th 2006 a coalition of labor, open borders and illegal alien advocacy groups staged a pre-arranged publicity stunt on the Century Blvd. corridor for the purpose of "shutting down Los Angeles International Airport" through "the biggest act of civil disobedience in Los Angeles History". The coalition included: We Are America Coalition; Unite Here; Los Angeles County Federation of Labor; Coalition of Human Immigrant Rights; Laity United for Economic Justice; and an assortment of Open Borders and Illegal Alien advocacy groups. The shut down of the airport inconvenienced and caused measurable economic harm to innocent people not a party to this alleged labor action. In addition, it is suspected that large sums of tax-payers funds were spent by the city providing assistance to the protesters' choreographed street theater. Today, a little more than a month later, the City Council of Los Angeles is caving-in to the demands of the coalition of participants in the massive act of civil disobedience and economic terrorism, by contemplating a proposal that creates incentives for Illegal Alien labor, a Felony. Mr. Dolz supports the worker's right to collective bargaining, fair and non-discriminatory free-market wages and good working conditions. Mr. Dolz demands that the ordinance envisioned in article 14th of the agenda include: 1. Compliance with the "Equality Provision" of the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution by guaranteeing the same fair working conditions and a living wage to all workers in the city of Los Angeles rather than limiting it to "certain hotel service workers" "in the LAX Century Blvd. corridor". Limiting who is entitle to fair working conditions and a living wage would be discriminatory and unfair to the majority of workers in the city. Fair working conditions and a living wage must be the right of every worker in the city of Los Angeles who has the right to live and work in our country. 2. It is a Felony to hire Illegal Aliens. It is a Felony to aid and abet Illegal Aliens. Therefore, labor unions can not organize and represent Illegal Aliens in labor contracts; nor can employers hire Illegal Aliens. It MUST, therefore, be mandatory that the employer of any worker subject to the Ordinance contemplated by article 14th of the agenda enroll in the Federal Government's free "Basic Pilot Program" in order to verify the immigration status and right to work of the worker. In regards to the influence of the coalition of organizations that staged the publicity stunt that shut down the Los Angeles International Airport on September 28th, 2006, upon the Los Angeles City Council; and the inappropriate or illegal expenditure of tax-payer funds, Tony Dolz is submitting at this Los Angeles Council meeting a California Public Records Act Request addressed to the Discovery Unit of the Los Angeles Police Department, CPRA Section, 201 North Los Angeles Street, Space 301, Los Angeles, California. Mr. Tony Dolz will be available for comments both before and after the Los Angeles City Council meeting. Tony Dolz Minuteman www.dolz.com Tel. 310 371 7500

[Carry_Okie]

I can't make it on $10.64 an hour. I need an annual salary of $600 grand! If I vote for a Slave Party stuporvisor, does that mean I get it?

What this really means is that more illegals will be hired because citizens will be priced out of the market. Too bad the idiot voters who elect these morons clearly don't get it.

[Myrddin]

Paying fees and taxes to the government doesn't constitute a "financial relationship". Financial relationships are contractual business activities between the business and government for goods and services.

The state and federal government impose minimum wage laws. I doubt the city has the authority to do so. If the "living wage" they have demanded isn't applied to ALL businesses in the city limits, then you have a bill of attainder. They are punishing an identified group by an act of legislation without due process of law. You also have an "equal protection" issue if the law doesn't apply equally to all persons in the jurisdiction.

[durasell]

Paying fees and taxes to the government doesn't constitute a "financial relationship". Financial relationships are contractual business activities between the business and government for goods and services.




Many large businesses that employ a good number of people get tax breaks etc.

[Graybeard58]

Very hard to read without paragraph breaks but interesting.