Resolution to Endorse and Support the 15 Now Tacoma Campaign and Initiative

1 RESOLUTION 2015 - # 14 2 3 RESOLUTION TO ENDORSE AND SUPPORT THE 15 NOW TACOMA CAMPAIGN 4 AND INITIATIVE 5

7WHEREAS: 8 The towering levels of income and wealth inequality in the U.S. today undermine our 9democracy, our unions and our public health, with CEO compensation and corporate profits 10hitting record highs while the real value of the minimum wage hits record lows; and 11 12 WHEREAS: 13 Increasing the minimum wage benefits workers of all income levels by lifting the bottom 14that employers have pushed workers towards; and 15 16WHEREAS: 17 The minimum wage has failed to keep pace with growth in productivity since 1969, with 18researchers today pegging an appropriately adjusted minimum wage at between $16.50/hour and 19over $21/hour, thereby rendering a minimum wage of $15/hour a remarkably reasonable 20demand; 21http://www.cepr.net/blogs/cepr-blog/the-minimum-wage-and-economic-growth; and 22 23WHEREAS: 24 The research conducted by Diana Pearce, PhD., of the University of Washington has 25determined that the current Washington state minimum wage of $9.47/hour is well below the 26self-sufficiency standard for a full time worker in Pierce County, Washington; and 27 28WHEREAS: 29 The majority of today’s minimum wage workers are not teenagers working for pocket 30money, with 75% of minimum wage workers over age 20, one-quarter parenting children, and a 31majority functioning as the sole or primary provider for their families; and 32 33WHEREAS: 34 The passage of the 15 Now Ordinance in Tacoma will be a tremendous boost to the confidence 35and credibility of the labor movement in combatting the current decline in union membership. But as 36anyone who has negotiated a contract will know, no win is ever set in stone and the employers will seek 37to capitalize on any opportunity to take back this historic wage increase; and 38 39WHEREAS: 40 41 Low wage work disproportionately affects women, people of color and immigrants; and 42 43WHEREAS: 44 As public library employees and union workers, we observe on a daily basis the 45disastrous effects of poverty on the communities we serve; and 46 47WHEREAS:

1 Page 1 of 2 2 3Committee Recommendation__do pass______Convention Action___approve______48 Pierce County Library System’s entry level Library Pages, who comprise nearly one-third 49of our 300-plus member Bargaining Unit, currently start at $10.71/hour and top out, 11 steps 50(i.e., 11 years) later, at $14.41/hour; and 51 52WHEREAS: 53 15 NOW Tacoma’s Proposition 1 includes a robust plan for fair enforcement of the 54minimum wage ordinance, including the establishment of a citizen’s review commission which 55will include at least one member selected by the Pierce County Central Labor Council; and 56 57WHEREAS: 58 In the fight for the right to living wages, we must escalate the struggle and expand the 59$15/hour campaign across the U.S., building the power of workers through coalitions of Labor, 60social justice organizations and community groups to counter the power of corporations; and 61 62WHEREAS: 63 Constant diligence is needed by Labor to guard against those in power who seek to 64capitalize on any opportunity to take back this historic gain in the minimum wage; and 65 66WHEREAS: 67 We know, as union workers, that we can effectively counter the dominance of the 68employers by organizing and working together; and 69 70 71THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: 72 That Council 2, amplifying the efforts of Locals 120 and 3787, will endorse and support 73Tacoma 15 NOW’s Proposition 1, offering assistance to this crucial campaign on behalf of 74workers in Pierce County, Washington state, and beyond. 75 76 77Respectfully Submitted: 78 79 80MICHELLE ANGELL, DANA BROWNFIELD, YURI BUTTON, ELISE DEGUISEPPI, DIANE ELLIS, 81AISHA WOMACK 82LOCAL 3787 83 84Combined with Resolution #5, Submitted by: 85 86Celeste Suliin Burris 87Local 120 88

4 Page 2 of 2 5 6Committee Recommendation__do pass______Convention Action___approve______