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At its January meeting, the Coordinating Committee of the Green Party of
Ohio
committed to working on a campaign to enact a Living Wage ordinance in the
City of Columbus. A living wage ordinance would require employers who
receive
city funds to pay their employees more than minimum wage, a wage that would
more accurately reflect living costs and generally be tied to a percentage
of
the poverty line for a family of four.
Members of The Green Party are alarmed by the growing economic inequality in our community and society. The minimum wage, currently $5.15/hour, has not been raised for over four years and falls far short of the $8.20/hour required to raise a family of four to the poverty line. A Living Wage ordinance makes an important statement about our values as a community and takes the first step towards employees being fairly compensated to meet their basic economic needs.
Marilyn Welker, a member of the Central Ohio Green Party Coordinating Committee, will act as a spokesperson for this effort. "The Living Wage campaign is an opportunity for citizens in Columbus to create a stronger social fabric. When public dollars serve the common good and when people can adequately support their families, we are all winners."
Currently 60 communities, counties and governmental entities have passed a living wage ordinance, including the cities of Toledo and Cleveland here in Ohio. Today, more than 75 living wage campaigns are underway in cities, counties, states and college campuses across the country. Taken collectively, these impressive instances of local grassroots organizing are now rightfully dubbed the national living wage movement, which syndicated columnist Robert Kuttner has described as "the most interesting (and underreported) grassroots enterprise to emerge since the civil rights movement ... signaling a resurgence of local activism around pocketbook issues."
The Coordinating Committee is seeking other community organizations with whom to partner in this effort. Organizations who would like to join in this effort are encouraged to contact Paul Dumouchelle , also a member of the committee.
Members of The Green Party are alarmed by the growing economic inequality in our community and society. The minimum wage, currently $5.15/hour, has not been raised for over four years and falls far short of the $8.20/hour required to raise a family of four to the poverty line. A Living Wage ordinance makes an important statement about our values as a community and takes the first step towards employees being fairly compensated to meet their basic economic needs.
Marilyn Welker, a member of the Central Ohio Green Party Coordinating Committee, will act as a spokesperson for this effort. "The Living Wage campaign is an opportunity for citizens in Columbus to create a stronger social fabric. When public dollars serve the common good and when people can adequately support their families, we are all winners."
Currently 60 communities, counties and governmental entities have passed a living wage ordinance, including the cities of Toledo and Cleveland here in Ohio. Today, more than 75 living wage campaigns are underway in cities, counties, states and college campuses across the country. Taken collectively, these impressive instances of local grassroots organizing are now rightfully dubbed the national living wage movement, which syndicated columnist Robert Kuttner has described as "the most interesting (and underreported) grassroots enterprise to emerge since the civil rights movement ... signaling a resurgence of local activism around pocketbook issues."
The Coordinating Committee is seeking other community organizations with whom to partner in this effort. Organizations who would like to join in this effort are encouraged to contact Paul Dumouchelle , also a member of the committee.