Support a Living Wage for All Workers

Santa Fe is proud of its living wage, the highest in the country. But we still have work to do. Forty percent of Santa Fe workers aren’t covered, and the current law makes enforcement difficult. We support the amendments currently being considered by the City Council. They expand the law to cover all employers, not just those with 25 employees or more, starting Jan. ‘08. The amendments will also establish an automatic cost of living increase every year, starting Jan. ‘09, instead of a one-time increase of one dollar starting Jan. ‘08.

• The current law covers only 60% of workers. By covering all of us, the amendment will immediately raise wages for about 5,000 workers. It will also eliminate a widespread problem where one Santa Fean is earning $9.50 per hour while a neighbor or family member earns under $7.00 per hour.

• These amendments will preserve our earning capacity. With an automatic yearly cost of living increase, we will not have to fight for a raise each year as inflation erodes our wages. Workers will get an automatic cost of living raise every year.

• The current law creates enforcement problems. The 25 worker threshold allows employers to find loopholes to avoid the law by artificially dividing a business into several smaller entities or otherwise limiting its workforce. It penalizes the many conscientious employers trying to do the right thing. This amendment will level the playing field.

• The amendments are broadly supported. The amendments move the community forward together. They assure a decent minimum wage that keeps up with the cost of living for all Santa Fe workers, rather than a one-time wage increase for only 60% of us. These amendments are supported by the Living Wage Network, the New Mexico Conference of Churches, the Northern New Mexico Central Labor Council and 20 of its member unions, and AFSCME International and Council 18; as well as the Santa Fe Alliance, the Chamber of Commerce, the Lodgers Association, and the Restaurant Association.

• We oppose any new exemptions to the living wage law. There are important reasons not to exempt young workers, small businesses, or part-time workers.

• Young Workers. Many young people need to work to help support their families while they stay in school. The additional pay means less work and more time for their education.

• Small Businesses. All of us deserve a fair wage, regardless of the size of the business. Family members employed by “mom and pop” stores are already exempted.

• Part-Time Workers. If this exemption were included, the living wage could be avoided by making any full-time worker part-time. All workers should be paid a living wage.

• $9.50, or even $10.50, is not a true living wage. But these amendments, with no new exemptions, assure all of us a decent minimum wage that keeps up with the cost of living. This is much better than the original law, which scheduled a one-time wage increase for 2008 that only covered 60% of Santa Fe's workers.

Take Action! Contact your councilors and tell them you support the amendments, with no new exemptions. To find out what else you can do to help, call us at 983-9563 or go to our website, www.santafelivingwage.org.