The Providence City Council is considering [apparently with serious intent] the living wage proposal that would establish a minimum salary for city employees of $12.30 an hour and require vendors to pay their employees the same wage when working on city projects.
Proponents take too flippantly the impact of imposing such a wage.
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They dismiss predictions that the $1.2 million they admit it would add to the city payroll could lead to added taxes, and suggest that vendors needn’t worry because they can simply pass the additional cost onto consumers.
Proponents also readily admit that those they are targeting in particular are teachers’ aides, bus drivers and the like, most of whom are covered by union contracts. They ignore the fact that these employees are represented by powerful agents – unions – that are charged with negotiating a fair wage and working conditions for these employees, based upon their skill levels.
The living wage movement smacks of another effort to provide a handout to individuals who would benefit more by additional training that elevates their skill levels, which subsequently elevates their income levels. To raise wages so dramatically in any other fashion is a prescription for inflation, feeding an already troubled economy.
Let’s concentrate on ways to help people improve their skills through training. To simply impose upon the city and its vendors a “minimum wage” that doubles the actual minimum wage equals economic disaster.
We strongly support programs that will help individuals develop new skills and improve upon the skills they already have – the only sure-fire remedy for improving wages, benefits and dignity in and out of the workplace.
