Explanation
Title
To support State Issue 2, a ballot initiative that will raise the minimum wage.
Body
WHEREAS, it is important to the health and welfare of all residents of the City of columbus that working people are paid a wage that enables them to lift their families out of poverty; and
WHEREAS, the buying power of the federal and state minimum wage of $5.15 an hour is at its lowest point in the last 50 years because it has not kept pace with the rising costs of living; and
WHEREAS, many working families in Columbus live at or below the poverty line; and
WHEREAS, raising the minimum wage to $6.85 and hour would raise wages for about 720,000 workers or about 14% of Ohio's workforce; and
WHEREAS, on average, these workers provide half of their families' weekly earnings and nearly three-quarters are adults over twenty; and
WHEREAS, experience and research from the 22 states that have already raised their minimum wage shows that raising the minimum wage substantially helps families without hurting the economy; and
WHEREAS, productivity of Ohio workers has risen sharply but wages have remained stagnant while U.S. corporate profits have increased by 50% between 2001 - 2005; and
WHEREAS, increasing wages will increase the ability of Columbus residents to attain self-sufficiency decrease economic hardship in the City, and reduce the need for the taxpayers to fund social services in order to provide supplemental support for the employees of local businesses; and
WHEREAS, Ohioans for a Fair Minimum Wage, a broad coalition of community, labor and faith-based organizations and individuals across the state, have gathered over 700,000 signatures from Ohio citizens and qualified Issue 2 for the November 2006 ballot; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council supports an increase in the state minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.85 an hour and we encourage voters to approve State Issue 2 on November 7, 2006.