What is a Living Wage?

A Living Wage provides the basic salary necessary to cover a family's food, clothing, shelter, day care, transportation, and medical needs. Current Federal minimum wage, $5.15/hr, earns a full-time worker would earn about $10,700 annually, only about 65% of the poverty level for a family of four!  The Living Wage would require the City and companies benefiting from city contracts to pay their employees at least 110% of that poverty level; so the Living Wage would currently be almost $9 per hour.

• to provide quality health benefits for all their employees
•  to respect the right of employees to organize a union if they so choose..

Would a Living Wage Hurt the Cleveland Economy?

No! In Baltimore, the real cost of city contracts decreased while business investment increased!
The City of Cleveland would benefit through increased taxes as a result of increased worker wages. Increased wages also result in increased spending in our local neighborhoods.

We are a broad-based and diverse movement of labor, religious and community groups organized to propose the adoption of a Living Wage to the Cleveland City Council.

Can a Living Wage
Really be Adopted?

No company holding a city contract reduced employees. A Living Wage would contribute to the local economy because people who earn more can spend more!  

Why
Clevelanders
Support a
Living Wage:

Businesses that pay poverty wages increase the tax payer funds needed to provide social services for those employees. When workers earn a Living Wage they have less need for public support systems such  

Yes! At least eleven cities across the country have already adopted Living Wage legislation, including Los Angeles, CA; Baltimore, MA; Minneapolis, MN; St. Paul, MN; Portland, OR; Milwaukee, WI; and New York City, NY. We propose that the City and companies receiving Cleveland tax dollars be required

• to pay at least $8.90/hr in wages

as welfare, food stamps, heat assistance, subsidized health care, etc. And businesses recognize that low wage workers mean increased worker turnover, which results in increased training costs.  The city of Cleveland would benefit through increased taxes as a result of increased worker wages.  Increased wages also results in increased spending in our local neighborhoods.
(opeiu/local2)

  If you would like to join the Cleveland Jobs and Living Wage Campaign in the fight for a living wage contact us c/o Cleveland Jobs with Justice / 20525 Center Ridge Road, Ste 700/Cleveland, OH 44116 / 
Tel: 440-333-6363, 440-333-1491