(courtesy photo)
Although the fight to raise the minimum wage has received support from an overwhelming number of Blacks, Los Angeles-based leaders of the Raise The Wage Coalition still face an uphill battle from local businesses, non-profits organizations and some members of the L.A. City Council.
About 87% of African American Angelinos support raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, said Laphonza Butler, co-convener of the Raise the Wage campaign and president of SEIU United Long Term Care Workers, during a press briefing on the issue.
The Raise The Wage Campaign is a coalition of labor leaders, business owners and community members aiming to give hard working Angelinos a much-needed raise.
“Eighty-seven percent of the African American community support the raise the wage campaign proposal of lifting the wage to $15.25,” Butler said.
Numbers like that indicate that when it comes to the Black community, there’s no push needed.
“This is not a persuasion campaign,” said Rusty Hicks, co-convener of the Raise The Wage coalition and executive secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.
During the briefing, Butler noted that the campaign was a direct response to the growing income inequality that has plagued the nation. Indeed, according to Butler, 42% of African Americans make less than $15 an hour.
“This is an issue that the African American community in Los Angeles wants our coalition to fight for,” Butler said.
Despite the support, the coalition has a ways to go before key decision makers are on board.
“We’ve got work to do,” Butler said. “It’s not that the others are against it, they just haven’t taken a public position.”
“I think that there are some people on the council that are more convinced than others,” Hicks said.
Out of the 15 City Council members, Mike Bonin, Curren D. Price, Jr., Nury Martinez, and Paul Koretz have championed for the wage increase, Butler said. Unfortunately, quite a few non-profits have come out in opposition of the wage hike.
“If we can’t take care of our community by providing a livable wage for all of us, then we’re going to continue to see the disparities that are happening in our community,” said president and CEO of the Brotherhood Crusade, Charisse Bremond Weaver.
To ensure success, the coalition is calling on community members to express their support by calling or writing their council member.
During the month of March, there will also be a series of meetings held at 6pm throughout the Central, Westside, South, and Valley areas of Los Angeles. (For more information, please see bottom of the article.)
Politically, supporters need to remember that this is a citywide issue, not just a South L.A. issue, Bremond Weaver said.
Many organizations that provide jobs to transitional workers, have pushed back against the proposed wage hike.
Organizations such Homeboy Industries, Chrysalis, and the Conservation Corp have essentially made the argument against raising the wage due to the fact that they’re employing the unemployable, despite massive budgets, Hicks said.
Additionally, The LA Chamber and The Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA) have expressed opposition as well.
Despite the opposition, coalition members are hopeful.
“We have not had a hard time at all finding small businesses who think that this is the right thing to do,” Butler said.
With the right implementation, many hope that business owners will support the wage hike.
During the briefing, Butler pointed to Seattle’s recent $15 wage hike that will gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2017.
“We are 100 percent in support of this movement,” Bremond Weaver said.
We provide jobs in the community and we recently testified in front of the City Council about why this is important, she said.
Resistance aside, members of the coalition indicated that the wage hike is a reasonable request for business owners.
“If your CEO is paid 250k a year, I’m sure you can figure out a way to pay the minimum wage,” Hicks said.
If the wage is raised, around 800,000 workers will be affected.
For more information the minimum wage meetings, please contact Councilman Curren Price’s office at (213) 473-7009.
