Tonight the City Council voted (5-0) to rescind their earlier vote to roll back wages of small restaurant workers in town, a vote Councilman Scott Donahue characterized as doing "the least harm". The vote represents the end of the drive initiated by Council members John Bauters, Dianne Martinez and Mr Donahue beginning May 7th to make a carve out in Emeryville's Minimum Wage Ordinance. The bid to carve out a lower pay scale for an identified restaurant worker class was stopped after a coalition of labor and community groups known as East Bay Working Families gathered 871 signatures in a petition drive of Emeryville voters. The Council could have pushed the issue into 2020 after the drubbing the three Council members suffered as a result of the petition drive, by putting it to a vote of the people but they chose instead to end it here tonight.
A buoyant contingent of East Bay Working Families was on hand to witness the final putting to rest the whole affair. Afterward, Liz Ortega of the East Bay Working Families told the Tattler the victory belongs with those struggling in the lowest paid jobs, "Workers in Emeryville won tonight" she said, smiling.
And with that, the issue of lowering Emeryville's MWO is ended two and a half months after it started. Every minimum wage worker in Emeryville will now be paid the same amount. Issue over.
Yes!
ReplyDeleteGreat news, but the councilmembers that thought this was a good idea have now completely lost my trust. If they were willing to throw away the progress this city has made, then I'm now worried what terrible idea they'll pursue next.
ReplyDeleteNow back to the Onni Monolith and traffic, noise, and pollution....
ReplyDeleteThe war's over and the good guys won. The "Don't support these businesses" list should be deleted, as I see it. Both sides exercised their free speech according to their motives, and it's up to the winners, now, to be generous in victory.
ReplyDeleteThanks Joe. I agree and in fact, your idea is in the works. The list will be taken down followed by a story on the history of the multi-year minimum wage ordeal. We need to give these businesses a chance to learn from their mistakes and once again become part of the Emeryville community.
DeleteUntil the next time they try to attack the MWO. Then we'll be there, ready to smack them down again.