(October 12) Tonight, this city joined 30 other municipalities around the country that have passed a "Living Wage" ordinance. Six City Council members, all Democrats, voted in favor of the measure. Republicans John O'Connell and Michael McGarry abstained, and one Republican--Veronica Airey-Wilson-- was absent.
The ordinance guarantees that in order to win a contract with the city, a business must provide a base wage of $8.81 an hour. The contractor must also provide health insurance or an additional $1.35 an hour in lieu of health coverage. In addition, large contractors must agree to "neutrality;" that is, a pledge not to interfere with union organizing efforts by their employees. Small businesses are exempt from the law.
The vote followed months of public hearings, political wrangling and potential backsliding. The neutrality piece in particular was threatened after the proposed measure was first introduced. Consistent planning and strategizing by the SEIU State Council, along with heavy lobbying, played a critical role in the victory.
But what did the trick was the fact that every City Council Public hearing and committee meeting was packed with union members. Union members who are Hartford residents. Union members who drive school buses or clean the downtown office buildings after everyone else leaves. This constant presence let every Council member know that the City's working poor were organized and were watching.
Republican minority leader John O'Connell did some last minute grandstanding, asking questions that he knew the answers to or questions that should have been asked and answered months before. The fact that his questions did not often receive a decisive response from the majority demonstrated the Democrats' tenuous grasp of the details. But still, they did respond. When O'Connell derided the ordinance as "feel-good legislation," Deputy Mayor Frances Sanchez responded: "I hope that when we pass this, people will feel good. They will feel good about being able to pay their rent and buy clothes for their kids."
The campaign also had support from the the Greater Hartford Labor Council, District 1199 Health Care Workers Union, and significantly, Hartford Areas Rally Together (HART), the city's premier community organization. HART leader Hyacinth Yennie addressed the crowd after the vote, and union organizers passed out pieces of pie to the crowd of about 100 supporters.
