Bloomberg Vetoes Living Wage Legislation!
June 3, 2012
Around Town By Neal Tepel
With this veto, Mayor Bloomberg stands firmly on the wrong side of history. He has missed an opportunity to support New Yorkers as they strive to be productive, contributing citizens wanting to earn a decent living wage so they can take care of their families.
The Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act grew out of a historic citywide campaign for living wage jobs and economic justice. It passed the New York City Council by a wide margin of 45-5 on April 30, drawing praise from elected officials, labor leaders, faith leaders, and business owners.
The campaign spawned a highly visible and vocal movement that engaged thousands of New Yorkers and led to overwhelming support for the legislation across the political spectrum—74% of voters overall, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll, with 60 % percent of Republicans saying it is government’s responsibility to ensure workers are paid a decent wage.
“We are proud to have played a lead role in building the living wage movement and shaping this legislation. The city needs to create higher-wage jobs, not poverty-wage jobs. An override of the Mayor’s veto will be a major triumph for working people, for democracy, and for our city. It will be a significant step toward reducing inequality and poverty in our city,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU, UFCW).
