Resources - PolicyLink

Career Opportunities & 11 Internship Opportunities

< TOOLKIT HOME

Living Wage Provisions

Resources

The growing number of living wage campaigns has led to an increase in quantitative research and impact analyses.

Living Wage Ordinances Around the Nation
Sample Living Wage Resolution
Technical Assistance
Publications and Reports
Sample Living Wage Ordinances

Living Wage Ordinances Around the Nation-September 2001

Place	Passed	Coverage	Main provisions (All dollar amounts are per hour and have since been indexed to inflation).
Alexandria, VA	June 2000	City contracts over $30,000	$8.20 with benefits, or $9.83 without
Ann Arbor, MI	March 2001	Service contracts or financial assistance over $10,000	$8.70 with benefits, or $10.20 without
Baltimore, MD	December 1994	Service contracts over $5,000	$6.10 in fiscal year 1996, $6.60 in fiscal year 1997, $7.10 in fiscal year 1998, and $7.70 in fiscal year 1999, subject to Board of Estimates approval
Berkeley, CA	October 2000	City employees, businesses with city contracts, financial assistance recipients, and businesses that lease land from the city	$9.75 with benefits, or $11.37 without
Boston, MA	1997, amended September 1998	Service contracts of at least $100,000 or subcontracts of at least $25,000	$8.23, indexed annually on July 1 to whichever is higher of the adjusted poverty guidelines or 110% of the state minimum wage
Buffalo, NY	August 1999	Service contracts and subcontracts over $50,000 and firms with at least 10 employees	$6.22 in 2000, $7.15 in 2001, and $8.08 in 2002, with health benefits; or $7.22, $8.15, and $9.08 without benefits
Cambridge, MA	May 1999	City employees, service contracts, subcontracts, and subsidies of more than $10,000.	$10 indexed annually with the Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Chicago, IL	July 1998	Contracts or subcontractors covering home and health care workers, security guards, parking attendants, day laborers, cashiers, elevator operators, custodial workers, and clerical workers	At least $7.60
Cleveland, OH	June 2000	Contracts or subsidies totaling over $75,000	$8.20 starting January 2001, updated to $9.20 by October 2002. Minimum of 40% of new hires must be residents of Cleveland
Cook County, IL	September 1998	Service contracts and subcontracts	$7.60
Corvallis, OR	November 1999	Service contracts over $5,000	Wage and benefit package must equal at least $9.00 per hour, adjusted annually with CPI
Dane County, WI	March 1999	County employees and service contracts	110 percent of poverty level for a family of three
Dayton, OH	1998	City employees	$7.00 with health benefits, or $8.50 without
Denver, CO	February 2000	Service contracts or subcontracts over $2,000, for covered categories: parking lot attendants, security guards, clerical support workers, and child care workers on city owned or leased property	Poverty level for a family of four
Des Moines, IA	1988, amended 1996	Subsidy recipients	$7.00 minimum, with a goal of $9.00
Detroit, MI	November 1998	Service contracts, subcontracts, and subsidies over $50,000 per year	Indexed to poverty rate for a family of 4 with health benefits, or 125% of poverty level without benefits
Duluth, MN	July 1997	Subsidies over $25,000	90% of employees must be paid $6.50 with health benefits, or $7.25 without, indexed to inflation
Durham, NC	January 1998	City employees and service contracts	$7.55
East Point, MI	March 2001	Companies with service contracts or tax incentives of at least $5,000	100% of the poverty level for a family of four if health benefits are provided, or 125% if they are not.
Eau Claire County, WI	September 2000	County contracts over $100,000	$6.67 with health benefits, or $7.40 without
Ferndale, MI	February 2001	Service contracts over $25,000	$8.50 with health benefits, or $9.75 without
Gary, IN	1991	Tax abatement recipients	Prevailing wage
Hartford, CT	September 1999	Service contracts over $50,000 and subsidies over $100,000	$8.81
Hayward, CA	1999	City employees and service contracts over $25,000	$8 with health benefits, or $9.25 without, adjusted yearly with regional cost of living
Hudson County, NJ	January 1999	Service contracts	150% of the federal minimum wage
James City County, VA	2001	County workers	$8.25
Jersey City, NJ	June 1996	Selected service contracts	$7.50
Kankakee County, IL	September 1999	Firms getting local Enterprise Zone tax breaks	$11.42 or 130% of the federal poverty level
Los Angeles City, CA	March 1997	Service contracts and subcontracts over $25,000, concessionaires, and subsidies over $100,000 per year	$7.25 with health benefits, or $8.50 without
Los Angeles County, CA	June 1999	County employees and service contracts	$8.32 with health benefits, or $9.46 without
Madison, WI	March 1999	Subsidies over $100,000, and service contracts over $5,000	100% of poverty level for a family of in 1999, 105% in 2000, and 110% in 2001
Maryland State	1996	Contract for cleaning state-owned World Trade Center	$6.60 in 1996, $7.10 in 1997, or $7.70 in 1998
Miami Beach, FL	April 2001	City and some service contractors with contracts over $100,000	$8.56 with health benefits, or $9.81 without
Miami-Dade County, FL	1999	County employees, contractors, subcontractors, and airport employees	$8.56 with health benefits, or $9.81 without
Milwaukee City, WI	November 1995	Service contracts and subcontracts over $5,000	Poverty level for family of three
Milwaukee County, WI	May 1997	Select service contracts	$6.26, indexed to prevailing wage
Milwaukee School Board, WI	January 1996	Public School System employees, and service contracts	$7.70
Minneapolis, MN	March 1997	Subsidies over $100,000 per year	100% of poverty level for a family of four with health benefits, or 110% without
Missoula, MT	March 2001	Economic development assistance	$7.95, and health benefits
Montgomery County, Maryland	June, 2002	For-profit contractors with at least 10 employees and $50,000 in county contracts	$10.50 (contractors who offer health insurance will receive credits against this wage level)
Multnomah County, OR	October 1998	Janitorial, security and foodservice contracts	$7.50 in 1998, $8.00 in 1999.
New Haven, CT	April 1997	Service contracts	Poverty level for a family of four, revised every five years
New York, NY	September 1996	Security, temporary office, cleaning and food service contracts	Prevailing wage
Oakland, CA (city)	March 1998	Service contracts over $25,000, and subsidies over $100,000	$8.00 with benefits, or $9.25 without (indexed annually)
Omaha, NE	April 2000	Service contracts over $75,000; firms with receiving more than $75,000 in financial assistance. Exempts non-profits and firms with fewer than 10 employees	$8.19 with benefits, or $9.01 without, adjusted annually with federal poverty guidelines
Oyster Bay, NY	August 2001	Service contractors and subcontractors performing at least $50,000 worth of janitorial or security services	$9.00 with health benefits, or $10.25 without
Pasadena, CA	September 1998	Service contracts over $25,000	$7.25 with health benefits, or $8.50 without
Pittsburgh, PA	May 2001	Covers city employers, contractors, recipients of subsidies, businesses and contractors receiving tax breaks	$9.12 with health benefits, or $10.62 without
Portland, OR	1996, amended 1998	Janitorial, security, parking and temporary clerical service contracts	$7.50 in 1998, and $8 in 1999.
Rochester, NY	January 2001	Service contracts over $50,000	$8.52 with benefits, or $9.52 without
San Antonio, TX	July 1998	Tax abatement recipients	$9.27 to 70% of service employees in new jobs, and $10.13 to 70% of durable goods employees
San Fernando, CA	April 2000	Service contractors (including employees of temporary agencies), city employees	$7.25 with benefits, or $8.50 without
San Francisco, CA	August 2000	City service contractors, and leaseholders at San Francisco International Airport, In Home Support Service Public Authority (homecare workers)	$10 an hour followed by 2.5 percent raises for three more years. Days off
San Jose, CA	November 1997	Service contracts over $20,000, and some city employees	$9.50 with benefits, or $10.75 without
Santa Clara County, CA	1995	Subsidy recipients	$10 with health benefits
Santa Cruz, CA	October 2000	City employees and employees of non-profit and for-profit city service contractors	$11.00 with benefits, or $12.00 without
Santa Monica, CA	May 2001	Businesses and tenants with more than 50 employees and grossing $5 million or more in Santa Monica's Coastal Zone (beachfront and downtown area)	$10.50 an hour with benefits, or $12.25 without
Somerville, MA	May 1999	City employees, service contracts and subcontracts	$8.35
St. Louis, MO	August 2000	City service contracts over $50,000;business subsidies over $100,000	$8.84 benefits, or $10.23 without
St. Paul, MN	January 1997	Subsidies over $100,000 per year	100% of poverty level for family of four plus benefits, or 110% benefits
Suffolk County, NY	July 2001	County service contracts over $10,000 and subsidies. Includes home healthcare workers, Head Start workers, and daycare workers	$9.00 with benefits, or $10.25 without
Toledo, OH	June 2000	Service contracts over $10,000 (for firms with more the 25 employees) and subsidies more than $100,000 (for firms with more than 50 employees). Covers tenants in developments receiving subsidies	$8.58 with health benefits (indexed at 110% of the federal poverty level for a family of four), or $10.14 without health coverage (130% of the poverty level)
Tucson, AZ	September 1999	Service contracts	$8.00 with health benefits, or $9.00 without
Ventura County, CA	May 2001	County contractors and subcontractors	$8.00 an hour with health benefits, or $10.00 without
Warren, MI	January 2000	Service contractors, firms receiving financial assistance over $50,000	Poverty level for family of four with benefits, or 125% of poverty level without benefits
West Hollywood, CA	October 1997	Service contracts over $25,000	$7.25 with health benefits, or $8.50 without
Ypsilanti City, MI	June 1999	Service contracts or financial assistance over $20,000 in a year	$8.50 with health benefits, or $10 without
Ypsilanti Township, MI	June 1999	Contracts over $10,000	$8.50 with benefits, or $10 without

Source: Sources for this table include Economic Policy Institute and ACORN.

Sample Living Wage Resolution

Organizations are encouraged to pass endorsements of the campaign using this resolution . From South Central Federation of Labor in Madison, Wisconsin. (www.solidarity.com)

*******

Whereas, a day's work deserves a fair day's pay -- no one working full-time to support a family should have to live in poverty; and

Whereas, government and taxpayer dollars should encourage the creation of family-supporting jobs that provide health care benefits; and

Whereas, the costs of food, housing, child care and transportation make it increasingly difficult for low-wage workers to make ends meet; and

Whereas, more workers are finding their wages falling below the poverty level even with Dane County's record low unemployment rate; and

Whereas, Living Wage campaigns are winning legislation around the country to lift above the poverty level the pay for employees of firms receiving local tax dollars; and

Whereas, a Living Wage will assure social and economic benefits for the community as a whole and a supportive environment for employers who try to maintain fair wages; and

Whereas, a Living Wage will decrease the need for public assistance programs by increasing family-supporting jobs; and

Whereas, a Living Wage will increase sales tax revenues by increasing consumer spending and will help stabilize the local economy; and

Whereas, a Living Wage will discourage government privatization and contracting out that feeds the growth of part-time, poverty wage work; and

Whereas, a Living Wage will prevent "low-ball" contracting that results in low-quality service; and

Whereas, a Living Wage will result in lower turnover rates that will reduce the costs of recruitment, hiring and training and increase the quality and continuity of job performance; and

Whereas , a Living Wage will provide public vendors and businesses receiving economic development assistance with conscientious workers seeking jobs at adequate wages; and

Whereas, a Living Wage will increase incentives among low-wage workers to work and gain the experience and skills demanded in the job market;

Therefore, be it resolved that __________________________ supports the goal of raising base pay for employees of firms which contract for services with or receive economic assistance from local government to 110% of the federal poverty level for a family of four and to provide health care benefits.

Technical Assistance

1. ACORN (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now)
Comprehensive information and technical assistance on living wage provisions. Their site provides an on-line guide to adopting living-wage provisions, as well as background information, links and resources. ACORN also offers ongoing consultation.
739 8th St., SE
Washington, D.C. 20003
202-547-2500
www.acorn.org

ACORN's Living Wage Resource Center can be found at

http://www.livingwagecampaign.org/

2. Economic Policy Institute (EPI)
EPI publishes reports of living wage and minimum wage impacts.
1660 L Street NW, Suite 1200
Washington, DC 20036
202-775-8810
202-775-0819 fax
www.epinet.org

3. Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE)
548 S. Spring St. #630
Los Angeles, CA 90013
213-486-9880
www.laane.org

4. Center for Community Change (CCC)
1000 Wisconsin Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20007
202-342-0567
www.communitychange.org

5. United for a Fair Economy
Offers a guide to campus living wage
37 Temple Place, 2nd Floor
Boston, MA 02111.
617-423-2148
www.ufenet.org

6. Working Partnerships USA
2102 Almaden Road, Suite 107
San Jose, California 95125
408-269-7872
www.wpusa.org

7. Center for the Child Care Workforce (CCW)
733 15th Street, NW Suite 1037
Washington, DC 20005-2112
800-U-R-Worthy
202-737-7700
ccw@ccw.org

8. Welfare Information Network (WIN)

Provides links to living wage publications,

resources, contacts, and case studies.

1401 New York Avenue, NW - Suite 800

Washington, DC 20005

202-587-1000

http://www.welfareinfo.org/livingwageprogramsresource.ht

Publications and Reports

ACORN. Living Wage Campaigns: An Activist's Guide to Building the Movement for Economic Justice A Comprehensive guide to organizing a living wage campaign. April 2001.

AFL-CIO Department of Public Policy. Living Wage Laws: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions. October 2000.

Jared Bernstein. The Living Wage Movement: Pointing the Way Toward the High Road. Originally appeared in Community Action Digest, Spring 1999, Vol. 1, Issue 1.

Jared Bernstein. Higher Wages Lead to More Efficient Service Provision -- The Impact of Living Wage Ordinances on the Public Contracting Process. EPI report. August 2000.

Robert Pollin and Stephanie Luce. The Living Wage: Building a Fair Economy.
The New Press, 1998.

Nicholas Reville and Marti Garza. Campus Living Wage Manual, by United for a Fair Economy. 1999. A practical guide to conducting a successful living wage campaign on college campuses.

Karen Kraut, Scott Klinger and Chuck Collins. Choosing the High Road: Businesses That Pay a Living Wage and Prosper. Report by Responsible Wealth, a project of United for a Fair Economy. March 2000.

Bobbi Murray. Living Wage Comes of Age: An Increasingly Sophisticated Movement Has Put Opponents on the Defensive. The Nation, June 23, 2001.

Carol Zabin and Isaac Martin. Living Wage Campaigns in the Economic Policy Arena: Four Case Studies from California. Center for Labor Research and Education, Institute of Industrial Relations, UC Berkeley, June 1999.

Working Hard, Earning Less. National Priorities Project and Jobs with Justice. State by state account of how far behind minimum jobs are.

New Rules. Web site with original living wage reports and resources.

Greg LeRoy, Fiona Hsu, and Sara Hinkley. The Policy Shift To Good Jobs: Cities, States and Counties Attaching Job Quality Standards to Development Subsidies. Good Jobs First May 2000.

William Quigley. Full-Time Workers Should Not Be Poor: The Living Wage Movement. 2001.

Minimum Wage Laws in the States. United States Department of Labor. Provides basic information on minimum wage laws in all fifty states.

Living Wages Around the Nation:

Chris Benner and Rachel Rosner. Living Wage: An Opportunity for San Jose. Working Partnerships- USA. Projection of costs and benefits of San Jose's living wage ordinance. 1998.

Harvard's Living Wage web site. http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~pslm/livingwage/index.html. Site includes links, pictures, and information.

City of Santa Monica Living Wage Study
Projection of costs and benefits of a proposed ordinance (University of Massachusetts)

Vermont Livable Wage Campaign Page. Includes information on state and federal initiatives.

The Impact of the Detroit Living Wage Ordinance. Joint research project conducted by Wayne State University's Urban Studies Center and Labor Studies Center. 1999.

Christopher Niedt, Greg Ruiters, Dana Wise, and Erica Shoenberger. The Effects of the Living Wage in Baltimore. EPI Working Paper 119, February 1999.

Intended vs. Unintended Consequences: Evaluating the New Orleans Living Wage Proposal, by the Political Economy Research Institute. January 2001.

Living Wages and the San Francisco Economy, by Dr. Michael Reich. University or California, Berkeley. 1999.

Living Wages at the Port of Oakland, by Carol Zabin, Michael Reich, and Peter Hall. University of California 1999.

Sample Living Wage Ordinances

There are many on-line examples of living wage ordinances that have passed.

The Los Angeles ordinance has been amended to include specific language and broader coverage. To view the Los Angeles city ordinance, click here (pdf format).

The ordinance of Corvalis, OR is a good example of an ordinance passed by voters, rather than legislative. To view the Corvalis ordinance, click here.

Santa Cruz, California, passed the living wage that offers the highest wages.