by Paul Dirdak
We in Santa Fe have had the benefit of our 2003 Living Wage ordinance. Compensation equity and adequacy are values that we of the more progressive persuasion hold dear. Santa Fe was the second city in the country to pass a minimum wage law that was more aggressive than its state’s laws if indeed there were any at the state level at all. Many of you were involved in Santa Fe’s Living Wage Network more than 20 years ago.
This article is to explain the state of play about the City Council’s proposal to increase the Santa Fe Living Wage from $15 an hour to $17.50 an hour and tie yearly increases both to the cost of living, as well as the cost of housing. If passed, the ordinance would go into effect in 2027.
A group of city councilors are considering adding amendments to the new proposal that could exempt businesses with 25 employees or less, as well as exempting young people through a "training wage."
The original Living Wage, passed in 2003, had an exemption for 25 employees or less and it created a huge problem. Many businesses just reorganized to have departments called separate businesses and exempted them from the wage. In 2007 Santa Fe eliminated that exemption.
Other cities experimented with a separate category of compensation, a lower “training wage.” It too fell prey to abuse. Two workers doing the same job may be working for two separate employers. One employer categorizes the job as a “training position” while another does not. There goes pay equity, at least as strong a value among us as Living Wage.
Some Councilors focus more on anecdotal reports from certain small businesses in their districts than on the plight of low wage earners throughout their districts. The severe results of Trump economic policy will damage social safety net programs affecting lots of our Santa Fe neighbors. The Living Wage extension will put more money in circulation among low-wage earners thereby saving some or a lot of the customer base upon which small businesses rely.
Meanwhile, the Executive Committee of the Santa Fe County Democratic Party has just voted unanimously to support the passage of the proposed ordinance without amendment.
Hopefully, the vote on the new ordinance will take place in mid-November. Further delay risks it coming to a vote after new Councilors and a new Mayor are sworn in next year, thereby allowing postponement after postponement. I hope that you might do three things to help.
First, call your councilors. Ask them to pass the new ordinance on November 12 with NO amendments, such as exempting 25 employees or less, as well as no separate youth training wage. Here is a map to show you your district. Here are the councilors for your district.
Second, if you know any business owners, ask them to endorse the new ordinance. Then give the name of the business owner and contact information to David Thompson, one of the outside coordinators of the push for the new law. His cell phone is 505-372-8175 and his email is dcthomp@comcast.net.
Third, send this piece on to others and ask them to do the same thing I just asked you to do.
Thank you on behalf of progressive public policy in Santa Fe.
