HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Bill 7.A 09/20/2004CITY OF PETALUMA, CALIFORNI
L"�
AGENDA, BILL SePTemoer 2U.
AOLIAitenda
Title: Presentation and Dis Regarding ossible
9
7��aie:l Septe mber 20, 2004
Aving Wage Ordinance.
'Meetijig:Tim ❑ 3:OO-Pm
7 :00 PM
:Category (check one): E]CWjsentCalendar ❑ Public Hearing M New Bus
ness
❑ Unfinished Business, F
Department:
Dilrectorr
Contact Person:,
PhoneAumber:
City Manager
Michael'Riefffian
Michael B ie'rm*an,
778-4345
Cost of Proposal:
Account Number:
Amount Budgeted-,
Name of Fund:
Attachments to Agenda Packet Item
1. Recently passed living wugd: ordinance for the City of Sonoma
. 2. City of Petaluma Service, - 'C'On'tracts Summary (as prepaied by US. Berkeley Institute for Labor and
Employment)
3. ' A Living Wage for - Santa' Rosd an Petaluma, a publication of the UC Berkeley Center for Labor
Research and Education
An L,4
Wage Laws -& Communities , Apublic - ation of the Brennan Center for justice,
5�:
California Labor.& Employinent Spring 2002
'6. UC Berkeley Labor Center brochure
Summary Statement: The Living Coalition of Sonoma County wil give a presentation to the
,Council regarding a* living wage ordinance' inan for Petaluma. The City of Sonoma recently passed a living
Wage ordinance (attached), and the: 'Coalition proposes to craft, a similar - ordinance' for Petaluma.
Researchers from the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research, and Education and the Institute for Labor
and Employment would prepare a fiSdal JMDact report u9ing1he Softorri7a ordinan
3: -ce as a baseline, with the
thresholds and exemptions remain ug' ..more, or less the same.
'
The "Living Wage Coalition of"Sorionia. !County proposes. to ,split, the cost of the fiscal impact report,
estimated to cost approximately $5,000.
Recommended'Cit Y Cou�cil i Action/8uggested.Motio'w
_,
Discussion and Direction regarding the -praposed living wage ordin " ance.
Reviewed - by.. Finance Director:
'Reviewei1byCit they:
V,: At
Approv ed byCity'Manage
Date:
Date.
Date:
o ay s Date:
Revision ,# and Date Revised:
File Code:
L"�
31 May 2004 PROPOSED! LNING'WAGE - "CITY "OF SONOMA. Page 1 of 9
k Impacts of.the- proposed Living Wage Ordinance for ihe,City..of Sonoma:
' City Employees, Contracts, leases;. Franchises, Agreements and Grants
'Revised Report 11 "May 2004:
Marcee Harris;. M.P.P.
Go_ dm_an School of Public Policy
'University of Californi'a.at Berkeley
Dr Peter V. Hall"'
;Faculty of Environmental Studies
University of Waterloo, .
1. Introduction and Summary
The purpose of the', proposed Lining Wage Ordinance. fovthe City, of Sonoma (including the
City's Community. Development Agency) is to ensure that employees of the City, those
working on contracts with the City, and those working.for firms and non- profits receiving.
substantial grants, ?loans fi nancal assistance; leases, concessions, franchises and other forms
of support from "the.City;.earni_a�4iving wage' with benefits. The purpose.of this report is to
present estimates of the t`ikely' mpact'of the proposed Living Wage Ordinance for the City of
Sonoma. as applied to city employees, service contractors, lessees, franchisees, and recipients
of financial assistance. "
This report updates the estimates contained in our February 2'004 report. It is based on further
discussion and, information about the impact of the proposed ordinance. The key revisions are
as follows:
• The impact on direct city employees as estimated,by city staff is accepted. Seven
employees will receive additional pay, leave andhealth:benefits costing- $12,300 per
year:
• The employment status of Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau employees has 'been
confirmed_. Ten 'employees will receive additional pay, leave and health benefits
costing'$24 ° per year:
® The Proposed Ordinance has been revised ekempt volunteers; including.part- time.
f refi'ghte_rs ,and firef. hters with EMT. certification It, is estimated that approximately
40 Emergency Medicate Technicians and Paramedics will receive add_ itional pay, leave
and Health benefits costing up to $ L04;700 per ''year.
The estimates indicate that 57 low -wage workerse will receive wage, leave and/or health
benefit increases worth an, of up to $2,270,per worker per year under the proposed
policy. This,will cost "employers a total of up to $1,41,400 year. It is likely that most of
this cost willbe borne by the „City. This represents up to 0.9% of the 2002 /3 City Budget, or
up to $15.49'per per year.
1 Research Associate' ofthe Institute�for. Labor and' Employment, University''of'California,at Berkeley.
Z &this report the term `city' m ean s the :City of Sononia' and' all:City .agencies._
31 May 2004 PROPOSED LIVINGWAGE - CITY OF SONOMA Page 2 of -9
A significant proportion of the estimated benefits and cost& accrue because part' -time EMTs
and Paramedics Working for the City are covered `by the proposed policy. If'these groups .
were not covered'underthe policy, the cost to employers would be reduced.to $36,800 per
year, and only 7 workers would benefit.
In,summary; the proposed Living Wage Ordinance Will ,generate modest but very tangible
direct benefits for low -wage workers, While the indirect effect of the proposed policy is that it
enhances the position of the City of Sonoma.as an economic actor, committed to the
protection of the livelihoods of workers.
The estimates contained in this report were generated using actual employment,'wage and
Health coverage data for ihe; employees of :the City Departments, Service Contractors.and
Non - Profit Organizations likely to be covered by the ordinance. They are based on
assumptions about the. likely exemptions and waivers `to be granted should the proposed
policy be implemented.
The following. section ,discusses. the assumptions, .data. and methodology used to .o pile this
report. Section 3 examines the irmpacts! on each category.of employer covered bythe
proposed Living'Wage ordinance: Section 4 presents the aggregate impacts of the proposed
Living-Wage.ordinance and Section 5 provides a.conelusion.
2. Assumptions, Data and Methodology
A Living Wage Ordinance f City y of Sonoma was introduced in March 2003` (see
ww
w.livinQzvagesonoma:or g that we have assumed that the Ordinance will establish
$13;20 per hour. as the minimum value of wages and health benefits,. and that thei 127daypaid
leave benefit.is .pro -rated for part-time employees.
The following information was- requested from the City °of Sonoma, and was provided by
Carol. Giovanatt , Assistant City Manager and Mike.Fuson, City Manager:
® City job classifications, with _information, on wages, benefit, coverage- and work hours.
• Names, contact infortnatior: and contract details regarding:
o Non- profit organizations receiving grants,/ contracts:
o. For= profit service contract- holders
o City franchise -, concession- and lease- holders,
o Recipients of financial aid, grants waivers. and other forms of 'assistance.
o Contracts, joint ventures, partnerships and iother arrangements that - the? City
entered. in order to purchase .or provide services with other Cities .:and/or public
agencies.
s Our first draft report (February,; -2004) was comp_1"eted to. -the introduction of an ordinance in the 'City of
Sonoma, and.hence the, report assumed to follow'the Sebastopol Living Wage Ordinance passed in December',2003.
3l May 2004 PROPOSEDLIVING WAGE - CITY OF; SON,0MA Page 3 of 9
The metho-dologyfoll owed -in this report has, been successfully developed in
previous pros dies 4
...pectiv6 stu i .0 Limn ing Wage, Ordinances. es.. Using the, contact information
p ro v i d ed ded by City We interviewed iew.ed thfi of firms, nori-profit
organizations` and agencies to obtain I . specific irifonnaii S
ji.onthe ize and nature of the
contractual arrangement, employment levels, hours w an
' benefit benefit coverage. The
report estimates .wage ' and , henefit improvements for directlycoveredwork6rs and those that
may experience a spillovereffect, 5 'a well as costs - to employers.
I
3. Identification of covered Workers
In order to estimate the im pact;6'f1he proposed Livin'g'Wage ordinance We examine six
categories ofemp , loyn t
_qen arising from City activities . 'separately (see�Tdbl
e 1). These
categories include city employees, public agency - employees, non -prof em
e non p_ ees, service
contractors, l6aseh6ld6ffbh8:ffa'ndhisees. The remainder of ihis section outlines the number
of employees that will be covered by proposed Uvin'g Wage , "ordinance.
,
Table 1: Employment,resulting from City of Sonoma activities
'Category
AT - 1 Grants
Affected Grants ''Ern
-
'Comments
Contracts 7
Contracts
beriefitting!
Agreements
Agreements
City. Departments
47
e
7 r gular - employees; 40
'time EMTs and Paramedics
Public agencies
3
0
0
Non - profit
TO
Sotionia Valley Visitors
contracts grants'
Bureau
Service Contracts
J6
0
0,
42 Service Contracts
2'Construction Contracts
2 Publi.c,Sector Contracts
Leaseholders
0
0
Franchisees
0
Note: Only includes grants to non- profits >$75,000 city'contracts >$IA000` year.
4 See Hall.(2003)1mpac1s-,q the,proposed Living Wage�Ordinancejbr°the City of Sebastopol., Report of the Institute
!f
for Labor and Employment; [Available at w,,w., Also see'Zabin, Reich and
Hall (1999). Living Wages a0he Porrof-.0akland. Report of 'ihe.�CLRE (11R) :UC Berkeley;afid Re . ic . h, Hall and Hsu
(1990). Living Wages. dndAe Ecbnomyw The Benefits andleCosts -(In two, releases ). Report.of the
Bay Area Living'Wage Researdh�Group'(IIR) UC Berkeley, [Both available -at'httD:/,'iii.beike'ldy.edu/livingwage
Living: Wage Ordinances mayxesult-ifi.higher wages) f6r workers not dire covered by the I ordinance because of
what are known as spillover effects. Economists typically distinguish between,
.(11 vertical §billpvers, raises within
the firm that are designed to mairitain wage hierarchy, and n pj llovers; raises, withint f= he to
maintain wage parity covered and uncovered workers or raises in other I firms that arecompeting in the
same labor market asAhe covered firm. Empirical, studies of niiiiiniurnwage increases indicate that spillover effects
attenuate rapidly; in other words, ; an increase in the wage floor does raise the wages, of those jusf . above the new
wage floor, but does not shift4heentire wage structure upwards..Hence.such wage policies result in wage
compression.( for a4eView and application to California see Reich and Hall (2001). "A small raise for the bottom�'.
In: Lincoln, J and P'0#g "TA'e State of California Labor. Institute ofI - nd ' ustria - I Relations; Berkeley). Current
research indicates'the spillover effoc6 of living wage ordinances are more li ' d than those associated with
minimum wages° because. • they typically'do not affect all'the workers ,inagiVen1a
b market, but that they are
similarly attenuated and so do.;conffibute (modestly) to overall Wage c6rppress_i`b-n;
31 May 2004 PROPOSED LIVING WAGE- CITY OF SONOMA Page 4 of,9
i
31 City Employees •
According to information provided by City staff„ there are no full -time positions that pay.
below the living. wage. Two part -time ,positions are without benefits and/or pay °b.elow the
living wage level. City staff indicated thatan, additional 5 employees will receive;leave
benefits. Assuming that all currently unfilled positions are filled the estimated cost of these
pay, leave acid health benefits to `the City is $12,3'00.
The City of Sonoma also employs 19 Paramedics and 21 EMTs who work, on, a part-time
basis. 6 This is inadditi
on to 18 volunteer firefighters and firefighters withEMT certification
who, by -custom and tradition, are paid the minimum wage (firefighters without. EMT
certifcation':are paid $6.75 per hour without health and leave benefits; firefighters! with EMT
certification are paid $8:49 per hour). While the volunteers will be exempt Wage
coverage,, EMTs and Paramedics are more likely to regard their positions as the. first step in
their
health o
c Cu eave b enefi ts .
wges are $11
' per hour for paramedics,and $9 per hour for EMTs,
The existing wage differential reflects the:h gher skill. level,required of paramedics and it is
likely that some wage differential wi ll be maintained` when the Living Wage Ordinance is
im lernented. The size'o
p f the new'wage differential depends on bar-gaining ,and market forces,
andmeed not necessarily be the same absolute size as the previous d fferenfial.'Eyidence from
research on , niinimumwage increases in the 1990s indicates that there, is: both a ripple effect
and an absolute wage ;compression when, „such,polcies are implemented. This means that
some workers earning close to the new minimum wage level, actually receive wage •increases
above lhe=w minimum wage level,, but these increases, are not as large as those: "received at
the oldmin rnum'wage;,level. In other words, the wage differential is maintained `but it is, .
absolutely sinaller.'tlian - before (see footnote 5 above)*.
We have therefore, estimated the .costs of the. ordinance with EMTs paid $13'.20 per hour and
paramedics,'paid $14.20. (a $1 differential) and $15.20, (the current $2' differential) per. hour.
The cost of the city ofthese'wage benefit and leave increases will be between. $93 and
$104,700 year-.
' Althoughwe have not.attempted to estimate the turnover retention, absenteeism and other
improved performance ! of the proposed Living Wage Ordinance we;note that these
may significant in the case-of EMTs and Paramedics. Furthermore, Cty'staff indicated,
that cost savings could be achieved if higher wages for part-time paramedics reduced. the
need to assign tasks to firefighter /paramedics working overtime. This will'have the effect of
off. - settin g a portion of the estimated cost increase:-to the City.
6 Note that the number of,part-,time paramedics, EMTs and firefighters indicated here is the:number that appeared on
the City'a °payroll report, and that they were not all employed 'at the same'aime. Hence, the total' numbe s feported
here exceed the number of active• employees at,any given point in time:
For recent'research on 11 service benefits ofthe Living Wage, see Reich, Hall:and:Jaeobs (2003). Living, Wages:
and Economic Performance The San Francisco Airport Model. ILE (IIR), UC'. Berkeley: [Available on -line. at
http:/ %iir.li'erkeley.edu/livin«a/ See. also Howard Greenwich (1999) City of Berkeley Living: Wage Analysis
b Howar'
prepared _ y d Greenwich contract for the Cityof Berkeley�Department Finance; November 1999.
31 May 20,04 PROPOSED LIVING 'WAGE.- CITY OF SONOMA Page 5 of 9
3.2 Relationships -with Public Agencies
The City of Sonoma ,is involved in various contractuaLrelationships with public agencies for
protective services; at the'tme of writing we,are aware of three:' The first is a contract for
police dispatch services with the Sonoma County.Sheriffs_Department which has been in
effect for about• nine _years, th'e second is' a pending, contract, for law enforcement services
with - the Sonoma County Sheriff s Department , and the third i`sTor fire:and.emergency
medical dispatch services with the REDCOM Jont,Powers Authority. It was ascertained
during the impactstudy for the: Sebastopol .Living Wage that employees working in these
agencies are directly employedl by the County of Sonoma, and that they received wages and
benefits above the proposed.living• Wage level. The proposed exemption of part-time
firefighters implies that the Valley of the Moon Fire Protection District will not be affected
by the Living. Wage "Ordinance..
3.3 Grants / contracts with non- profit organizations
In the 2002 /3 fiscal year<one grant. /contract exceeding, $75,000 was awarded. The Sonoma
Valley Visitor's Bureau is a.membership °organization made up of more than 3OO�different
businesses that serve visitors to. 'Sonoma Valley. The Bureau operates two visitor centers.
They received $192;00.0' from the City for visitors' services and economic development
activities. Due to the nature, of the grant, these employees of the Visitor's Center may
effectively be regarded as contracted =out city employees. The Visitor's Center has 10
'Visitor Services Representative" positions that pay unde.rthe proposed living wage
from
threshol
ndar ` ",ear 2003 we tha the e em 'loyees. Using payroll information
p Yp P
y Visitor's Center would have to raise their
payroll expenses by approximately $24,500.
3.4 City Contracts
City Contracts: In the 2002 /3 financial year, the .City let contracts of $10,000 ormore to at
least sixteen organizations. Of these, two were: for construction, two for - services,
and twelve for professional services. No ne of the contracts for services will result in wage
and fiscal impacts.
A. Services: In ,the 2002/3 Fiscal year the City let twelve: service contracts in excess of
$10,000 for- a combined of at least $608,000 (some contracts specify a::minimum annual
payment). The contracts included,professional services such as, auditing, engineering'and
planning services, as well as landscaping and janitorial services. All of these contracts are
exempt from or the=proposed ordinance; The reasons why these contractors
are not affected °are os follows:
o Four 1con tract6rs , already pay their employees m6r'e'than the proposed' wage
level,
o In three. cases, all employees of the.contractor devote less than 20% of their
working time to they City Contract.
31 May 2004 PROPOSED LIVING WAGE - CITY OF SONOMA Page 6 of 9
o Two contractors employ fewer than, 6' people.
o ` Three, contractors did not, provide information, but based on contractual
information, we estimate that they would he `exempt based on the 20% mle.
B. Construction: In the 2002 /,3 :financial year, two construction contracts for-.an amount
greater than ;$ 10,000 were 1et. 'The City, of Sonoma .conducts most minor maintenance and
repair work in- house,, and hence only relatively large construction projects are,bid out to,
contractors. It.is assumed that in future all Hof ihesei contracts will be'sufficiently large Was to
°q y g g g and/or fe r s egulation (the 11—
Cal frm
oa State Labor Code and/or federal DaviseB con A t). Hence the proposed living
`wage' ordinance s'assumed to have no impact on construction contracts.
3.5 City Leaseholders'
Currently eight organizations hcvU leases with the City of Sonoma. Leaseholders will only be
covered by the proposed Living Wage Ordinance `if they have 25 employees or more,, and
revenue of'$350,000 or more per, year: Other exemption conditions also apply. The current
leaseholders are all exempt, from the - ordinance due� to number, of.employees and;the size, `of
their- gross annual receipts. One' leaseholder; the Sonoma Valley Visitors. Bureau is subject "to
the living "wage coverage by reason of its "se rvice contract agreement
3.6 City Franchisees
Currently three organizations hold 'franchises with.the City of Sonoma. Franchisees will only
be•covered.bythe proposed. Living Wage Ordinance if they have 25 employees .or more, and
revenue of ',$350,000 or more per year. Other exemption conditions also apply. The result is that no, franchisees are likely' to be affected'by the proposed Living Wage. Ordinance, for the
following reasons:
'o One franchisee already pays their employees more than the proposed living wage,
level.
o In two cases, :all employees of the franchisee devote less than 20% of their
working time to the city franchise.
3.7 Miscellaneous
The,Burliank Housing Development 1,Cor poration, proposes combining various'•. funding
sources i order to, develop affordable housing units in the City of Sonoma. The: City
Communitv,Development Agency is expected co_ ntribute more-than $100,000 to this
d6 eloprnerit and hence this employer will be covered by the proposed Living Wage
Ordinance. In an interview conducted,dur ng the preparation of the impact study for the
Sebastopol Living Wage the Executive Director' of Burb_ ank Housing reported that most of
their employees already earn more than the proposed living wage level. Th e:'Dl ettbr '.further
indicated that Burbank-,Housing seeks to be an employer that pays living wages,, and it 'is
In the version of t'his'report we estimated the impact of Living Wage eoveiage on Guerrero Janitorial: We •
have since leamed'that- thi_ §.. , finn.employs fewer than 6 people.
3,1 May 2004 PROPOSEDLIVING WAGE - CITY OF,SONOMA Page 7 of 9
assumed that this city - financial assistant recipientvill not change their development plans if
the Ordinance i's .implemented nor will they pass 'the additionaf costs on to the,City.
4. Aggregate Impacts of the proposed Living Wage ordinance
Using the information presented in Section_ '3 (above), we are :able to estimate the aggregate
impacts of the proposed •Living Wage ordinance. We provide several scenarios based on the
assumptions- discussed-above,. This is shown in Table 2.
Table 2: Aggregate Impacts ofthe Proposed City of Sononia;.LiuingWage.
Coverage -
Averagewage.
Cost to employers
Increase
Cost per
A as in proposed
Benefiting:,.
and health benefit
• per year;(includes
as %. of
resident
ordinance with:
workers.
increase per
worker. per year
employer -paid.
taxes)
Budget
per year
City, SVVB
17'
$1,920
$ 36,800.00
'0.23 %
$4.03
City, SVVB, EMT
Paramedic ($14 20):
57'
$2,090
$130,1. 00.00
0.82%
$14:25
City, SVVB, EMT'/
Paramedic ($15.20),.
57`
$2,270
$141,400.00
0.90 %0
1 $15.49
The estimates ind cateAhat 57 flow -wage; workers- Will, receive wage, leave and/or health
• benefit increases worth an average of' p to $2,270 perworker.per .year under the proposed
policy.. This will cost .employers a.tc tal of up to $14.1,400 per year`. These impacts will be felt
exclusively by the .City and- profit agency. It is expected that most of the additional
costs will be transferred.to. the City, given the close nature of the relationship between the
City and the affected nor"- pro fit, and its relatively inflexible staffing, requirements. This
represents .up to 0.9 % of the 200243 City'Op.erating Budget of over $J5 million, or up to
$15.49 per resident-peryear:
If the proposed ordinance is not applied to E1VITs.and Paramedics, then-it is estimated 17 low-
wage workers will receive wage, leave and/or Health °benefit increases worth aifuverage of
approximately °$I 920'per worker. per: year under, the proposed policy: The total cost to
employers, which includes employer =paid taxes; will'Ile approxiniately$3.6,800.per year.
This°represents 0.23% ofthe,total 20:02/3 Operating - Budget of the City and approximately
$4.03 per year for. each of'the 9;128 resident's of the City
Note'that ihe.following additio ial apply to these °estimates
(1) We have assumed that the administrative (Mon and enforcement) costs of the
Ordinance to the City; and of compliance with responsible bidder requirements by City
Contractors,, are negligibl'e. The , City will incur some one -off costs to draft appropriate
language for'xequests` forbids and contracts, and to establish appropriate procedures, as
well as the, ongoing costs of implementing the complaints procedure. However, given the
9S ee Elmore Andrew " L'iving Wages Laws; Smarter Economic Development z Lower Than Expe-cted,Costs ".
Brennan Center for Justice' bttp: % /v" , tarns /liVins wa�e/elmoreroort.htriil
31 May 2004 PROPOSED.LIVING WAGE - CITY OF SONOMA Page 8 of 9 -
scale of the City }s contracting, these costs should be.relatively small, and arguably should
be regarded as part of the.normal' costs of exercising appropriate;regulatory oversight in
any contracting -out activity. Note also that the Ordinance is designed.so that the main
burden,of monitoring and enforcement falls on workers and members the community.
(2) 'The Living Wage Ordinance provides for aphase -in over a period of up to three years as
existing contracts are renegotiated,, and covered 501(c)(3) nonprof is arenot required to
corriply until 2007. According to City�staff, this provision does not affect the non-
governmental. employer that is immediately affected by the ordinance the Sonoma
Valley Vi°sitors.Bureau.
(3) We, have notancluded estimates of the costs and benefits of extending Living Wage
coverage to employees of potential future recipients of City leases, concessions
franchises; or financial aid. It should be noted that recent research „suggests that extending
living wage coverage to firms receiving,business assistance may result, n widespread,
wage:increases for low - wa_ge workers. Tt.is =however unlikely that,any S'onorria.low=
wage workers will be affected by this mechanism, given the thresholds :for coverage
contained in the draft Ordinance only.C-ity.Financial Aid Recipients receivingmore
than $1'00,0.00 in any twelve -month period.would be covered). Two. ernpl'oyers received
grants in , excess of $100,000 from the Cityin fiscal year 2004 —the Sonorna Community
.Center received $250;0-00 in Assistance and Sonoma Valley Hospital received $110;000.
Since both_ actions will:have taken place prior to the effective date of the living wage
ordinance, neither; =employer is impacted by its provisions:
S. Conclusion
From the analysis above, it is clear, that the proposed Living Wage Ordinance will.have a
modest but tangible impact on the workers, firms and City of Sonoma. The relatvelymodest
costs and benefits of 'the proposed Living Wage Ordinance are a consequence.of the fact that
Sonoma is a small city with, a small. budget; therefore the ordinance will have, little economic
'impact. However,, some of the services that the City purchases, and that - it provides through
the Visitor ' Center, do employ people, at a low wage who, will benefit,fr - ofif the ordinance.
and P ramedics working for the City are covered by the proposed olio I these, group
A si ificant, ro ortion of the estimated benefits and costs accrue because
p p , p y f these; groups
were not covered . under. the policy, the cost and benefits of the policy would be significantly
:reduced.
lo See- Neumark (2002).,How Zivirig Wage Laws Low -Wage. Workers and Low - Income Families:, Public Policy
InsfitutewofCalifornia. [Available;online at w� w.ppic:org This research1as been the °subject.of considerable
,crificism for over - stating the effects of the Wage: see Brenner, Wicks- Lim,.and Pollin (2002), .Measuring the
Impact of living Wage Laws.: A. Critical Appraisatof David,Neumark''s: How Living `Wage Laws Affect Low -Wage
Workers and Low - Income Families. PERI, University of Massachusetts at Arnherst (Working • Paper Number 43).
[Available -on= line: at =http / /www.umass.edu/peri/research html #lw]
31 May 2004 PROPOSED LIVING WAGE - CITY OF SONOMA Page 9 of 9
Notwithstanding this . , qualification, recent 'research shows that; Livdng Wage ordinances have
improved economic development in the affected communities and,have costinuch less to
implement than.mi analysts initially expected. In fact, a survey of cities andd counties with
recently passed LiVing Wage ordinances found that .contract costs of the overall local budget
increased by less than 0. 1 % in the years after the law was adopted.,"
For a relatively small-pn.ce, .the ordinance will bring an increase in:thb welfare of a small
number of workers, arid a comin, ensurate improvement in, the: quality of city services.l most
importantly, in ad opting the pro posed Livin Wage ordinance, the residents of the City of
Sonoma through their elected .representatives, would be. .enhancing the position of the City as
an economic actor committed to the protection ofthe livelihoods of workers.
j
Elmore, Andrew " Living, W ages Laws% Smarter Economic D pp.me Than Expected Costs". Brennan
Center for Justice httb://www.brennancenter.6rg/.I)roe�ra s/living xka�jze,elmorereijort.htrnl
• 12 For recent research on the service benefits of the Living 'W.,, - age,.,see Reich, ffall'znAjacobs (2003). Living Wages
and Economic Performance: The,San Francisco Airport Model. ILE' Berkeley. [Available on-line at
http://iir.berkeley:edu/livingwa:ge/]
NO —2001
prepared by Samantha TePli:tzky
UC.•Berkeley Institute for'
Labor and Employment
•
Cit .of retaltima
CONTRACTOR PURPOSE _ AMOUNT EXPIRATION
1
MV Transportation Inc
Transit
$45 °er ear
2
PPSC
Piratransit
$366 S per year _
3
North Bay Landscape
Management
median mowing'
$88
4
Keystone Tractor'S.eryice.
_weed abatement.
„
$11:7
5 -
Dion's Downtown Towi
towin
6
American Tow Service_
,towm
7
Old Adobe Developmental
,clean-u . services_
8
RMA Engineering and
Mana ement
waste water treatment
1610,200
9
Raintree
carwash.
Contracts excluded-
--less than §10,000
- six employees.
-all construction and pr,evaiLng wage
=a11 consulting ,and pro:f'ess•, Tonal. servir,es
ti
A Report on the 'benefits and Impacts of a Living image Ordinance
on the�'Cities of Santa Rosa and Petaluma
August 2002'
Sa.diantha Teplitzky, M.A.
A Publication. of the VC Berkeley Center: for'Labor R esearc h and
Ed'ucatioiu
And the UC Institute for Labor and. Employment
Y
Sonvma; County and the Living Wage: Page 28'
A Stud3rof the Impact ofa Living Wage Ordinance
on the Cities of'Santa Rosa and Petaluma
found that the majority of Workers lack- health care coverage throu their employers at
the; Marketplace and Town Center.
Table 6 Santa. Rosa Marketplace.and Santa .Rosa Town Center Jobs Created
Store Cate gory'by
'Number of
Number of
Percent
Entry-level
Average-
size
Stores
Jobs
Part-Twe
Wage
Wage
J66S
,5 -10 Employees
6
67%t
$6 92
$711
1 - 50:
11
269'
'60%
$7.24
$7.97
51+ kmployees
6
971
approx. 50-
$8.79
N/A.
60%
1286
23
0.51
Source: interviews with, s fore managers and employees, Oct. 200
Summary of Santa Rosa.
Workers employed by city 'contractors and in city-subsidized projects, along with
temporary city employees, comprise a small proportion of a much larger pool.. of low-
wage workers. who face the high-costs of living in Sonoma County.
The majority of workers who would be covered by the ordinance fall into Che broau.
categpr service sector Workers, particularly retail trade and business services. These
ybf
jobs are among fastest growing - and, lowest paid - in the region and the
,,ptionoverall,(see Table 1).. In addition, the majority of such jobs are held by,adu not
by teenagers as some ofminiffWn,and Living Wage increases maintain.
The proposed Living Wage ordinance could assist approximately 4 low-wage workers
em I d dir ectly by the city of Santa: Rosa or its contractors. Provisions relate o_ economic
p oye - . irec d t
subsidies would only apply to -future recipients, "therefore -it is difficult
y to Predict the full scope of
the ordinance.
B. Petaluma
Service Contracts
Petaluma is one-third as, large as Santa Rosa, and consequently employs -fewer contracted
m - of whom. were paid for professional services at billable rates .in .
mo st, e ra
of $50-5150 per hour. Table 7 outlines the' distribution of employees according to th
monetary c i, t�.
y amount of the contr All contracts were the: of the
Petaluma City Clerk's. office.
41 Holly `Sklar, Laryssa MykytA Wefald Raise the Floor: Wages and Policies That 116rk, for All of
Us, New York Ms'.Foundatidnfor Women, 2001 pp
. 62-63
Sonom County and the Living �%V ;Page 29
A Saud -of the Impact of a Liv;<ng. Wage..Ordi:nance
on the Cities of Santa Rosa and Petaluma
Table 7: Distribution of.Petaluma Service Contracts
Annual $ Paid # of em�oyers or
contractors
$1,0,000 •- $2'4;000. 5
$25 - $99;999 1
$100;000.,. 3
Total 9
The Living Wage ordinance- would cover 9 contractors who em 1'0 100 workers.
p � y almost
Approximately 75 employees would.be,affected by a`wage of $15. The contrac ..are.,distributed....
among several industries including transit 'landscaping, maintenance. and waste management.
Table 8: City of Petaluma Service Contracts
gt� of Petaluma Service Contracts
TOTAL 9 10.8 97` 66% 64 73% 71
on- Profit Service Contracto
The City of Petaluma s Community ,Development,.Commission• funds several. non - profits, most
of which deal with Housing' Administration, Projects and. Programs. For the 2001 -02 Fiscal
Year, the City has allotted ,$4,474100 for Homelessness preventi and shelter services,
J Programs, Homeownership.
Transitional Housing, Fa Rental Projects Senior Fro ects and P.ro ram
The funds were1 distrib u ed among m Revitalizatlon Programs, and Administration costs.
g p ofit housing agencies employing an undetermined
number of workers. As stafe_ d ;above, Non -Profit Sector employees earn an average of $7.6'6 per
year. _
r -I
tvumoer of
.Average
Total
Percent'
Number
Perce 't
Number
Contract Type
Contracting
Size
Number
Paid
Paid
Paid
Paid
Firms:
r -
o Finn:
F
o . fi!ork,.rs'
f
< $11r�0
� $ 12:30.
< $15.00
< $15.00
Administrative and Support $ ervices '
Landscape Services
2
6
•12
o
7,1U O
9
0
770 0,
9.
Other "Services to Bwldin s & Dwellings
8 $
1 .
4
4
65 /0
Waste Management and RemediAon Service
I;
SO
-50.
71%
3
36
73%
77%
3
39
Transportation Support
P pp
2
8
16
55%
9
66 %
11
Repair and Maintenance
3'
5
15
55 %0
8
66 %
10
TOTAL 9 10.8 97` 66% 64 73% 71
on- Profit Service Contracto
The City of Petaluma s Community ,Development,.Commission• funds several. non - profits, most
of which deal with Housing' Administration, Projects and. Programs. For the 2001 -02 Fiscal
Year, the City has allotted ,$4,474100 for Homelessness preventi and shelter services,
J Programs, Homeownership.
Transitional Housing, Fa Rental Projects Senior Fro ects and P.ro ram
The funds were1 distrib u ed among m Revitalizatlon Programs, and Administration costs.
g p ofit housing agencies employing an undetermined
number of workers. As stafe_ d ;above, Non -Profit Sector employees earn an average of $7.6'6 per
year. _
r -I
Sonoma CoUnty'And-the Living Wag: Page 30
A Study of the Impact of a Living Wage Ordinance
on the Cities of Santa Rosa and Petaluma
Redevelopment /Economic Development Projects
The Petaluma Factory Outlet - Village project, began in 1989. The City of Petaluma
entered into an agreement with the. Chelsea and develo the site. A
- up o rezone T
report, issued' by the Chelsea Group in 11950 estimated that the city would benefit
-fit fro
$700,000 in additional 'sa I les tax revenue ($4,00, 000 - from the outlet ' mall and $300,000
from the: ;adjoining River Oaks ), additional $500.000 in development
propert
,y tax
revenue; all which would be'allotted to the - I .PetalumaRedevelopmen Agency until
and after 1904 would be shared, equally 'between the Agency and local schools
The re
pbrt also predicted $30,000 in'addilional community ayr6llin th6fornf of an
4 p
estimated 1,�.00 �new,jobs described as "high'
paying, management" positions offering en.
average: of $20, per year. The Chelsea Group also agreed to. pay $1,20 . 0,!.000 in traffic
mitigation'fees to,help construct a new overpass and interchange near the site
Although `the; Outlet Village :did not, receive , direct subsidies from the t�
. city, the indirect
subsidies, as well as general approval, act in a simil ar m , anner, - the y end, a, message .
about the desirable form of development. 'The City's,pamiss - on was con upo
ii the
developer's contribution to traffic mitigation n, Adhepehce to, environmental. codes . and
promises to :ffin061 sho ing at the Outlet Village illage, into shopping downtown, but no
consideration &
was given `to the nature of jobs that would. be. by the project.. The
Ou tlet V houses; about 47 stores,- and employs approximately 270 workers. The
sL`Ures r ai e in. *gize:. froiii 5 to a7Qout. 30 employees, A percent of whom are part4inie with
an average entry-level wage of $8.13 �per hour. In addition, 8 percent I of employees
represented by the survey Were over '18'years- of I age. Table 9 high lights the resul . of our
survey:
Table , 9-i Petal'um a Factary'.0utlet Pillage Jobs Created
Number of ..Percent Percent Entry level Average Wage
Stores' Full-Time Part-Titne Wage
Surveyed Jobs Jobs
27 34% "66% $8. $9.59
Source; 'Interviews with!slorenianagers and employees, Oct. 2001.
It shQuld be noted that the omission . of 'low.-paid food, service workers froin the Petaluma
Factory Outlet survey has. imuged,fts aVeragd• Wages, to be slightly higherihan those of f the
$4ptaRosa shopping centers.-
Petalufiza,Sum Mary.-
The: Living Wage ordinance could,affect appro ately 75 low-wage -' I
I proposed xim wor ers
,currently. employ, ed City contracts. 'T he he pTovisions of the Ordinance which apply to
economic development subsidies and assistance would have a larger finpact on future
pro 'within the 'Petaluma redevelopment -development zones.
Living Wage Laws:
Expanding Nationwide_
In one of the ,most pronounced local. policy trends in ;recent years,
scores of cities 'and counties across the''Utiited. States. =mote than
one.hundred =as of July ZQO3 ,have adopted local. "living wage" laws.
Under these laws, employers receiving city contracts or'city:bminess
subsidies- , rnust pay full 6,me,'workers a wage sufficient to support
themselves and their families at a subsistence level.
The policy goals driving these initiatives —that hard work should
be rewarded with adequate pay and benefits, and that taxpayer
dollars should ,not support jobs' that leave workers and families-
in poverty " —have found broad support among local lawmakers and'
the public.
Questions. Raised About
Livi ng Wage Laws
In assessing the value of living wage laws as policy tools, it is impor-
tant to understand their ,costs and benefits for communities.
Especially in, a time :of budget. deficits and.job losses, local policy -
makers have. had twokey questions about these laws:
• .Will they increase the costs of, ci ty,con tracts?
• Will they limit the ability of.cities to use business subsidies to
..increase, the'.numb'er of;good jobs in their communities?
To answer these .questions, we; asked; local government officials in;
communities: with living wage laws to examine the; impact of these:
laws after they were implemented. We have collected: their °findings
in this report:. Significantly,' local government' officials found:
The living wage laws °analyzed,' in. this report apply, to jobs
generated under two- -types of !city programs'?
City Contracts
cities :(ind other local lovernments) employ private contractors
to provide a range of services for the government and the, public.
'Living-Wage laws regwre.fi- th' perform city service contracts
to pay•their workers a living wage'`— generally set between $8
and`'$17per hour —and to. provide health benefits:.
City Business Subsidies
In'order�to attract orretain lobs iwikeir communities some
cities offer taxpayerJunded business subsidies usually in the
form of grants, tax abatements or below- market bonds4 or
loan s— to:employers thafpledge•to or retain` facilities -in
the community. Living wage laws require employers receiving
city business subsidies to pay their workers a living wage and to
provide health benefits.
• Only small increases in city contract costs as a percentage of
,city budgets—and _less -than initially expected.
• No significant adverse effects on city business subsidy
progras — in some cases such programs °were actually
strengthened.
By collecting the actual findings•.of government officials in commu
nities that have implemented living wage laws, this °report provide;
detailed •information that may be valuable to other communitie:
considering whether to enact similar laws._,
•
City Contra
Lower Than Expected :Costs
-For, city Contracts, local officials- reported, that cost increases
have. been small and less 'than initially expected..
For most cities, contract costs increased - less than 0.1 %o' of
the overall local budget in the years after'a living, wage law`was
adopted'. See Table 1, at left.
•
'Generally, in each city a few contracts; involving large numbers
of low -wage workers —for example, contracts ,for janitorial or
security guard, services — increased; substantially in price. For
these few contracts, the contracting businesses submitted high-
er bids, or negotiated for higher °prices, to perform'the city.
'work once the living wage requirement took effect.,
But the officials interviewed found thatmost contracts
increased, little, if any, in cost. In many cases, contracting
employers were reported to have absorbed,,much or all of'the
,additional labor costs without demanding' increased funds"
, ,from the cities.
Living wage requirements encouraged some local;governments
to institute competitive bidding for, contracts that had not
been put out for - in'many years, reportedly savings
for the cities.,
In localities that extended, Giving wage 'requitements to: human
services such as home: healfhtaare.or child care'services,. cost
increases were slightly larger- ranging from 0:3 to 2.79 %o of
local human services 'budgets — although still .quite moderate
overall. See Table 2, above.
These increased costs reflect both - the high concentrations of
low wages among city- contracted' caregivers, acid the fact that
cities have sometimes agreed to automatically, ,pay for some
or all of the increased wage costs for such contracts because
of the vital nature of human services and_the budgetary con -
straints faced by the non - profit agencies that often provide
these services.
E
City 'b Subsidies:
Smarter Econo , is Development
For city business subsidy programs, local officials reported that
they- could _still attract desed _i `business development, and that
living wage.'laws often reinforced smarter economic develop
ment; focused on creating, higher ` quality, jobs
.
• Local. officials reported that only in, a very few instances did
living wage requirement's that applied to business subsidy pro-
grams,limit their ability to attract desirable employers to their
communities. See Table 3, following page.
•. "Many business subsidy programs: already emphasized attracting
higher- wagelobs„ so,living'wage laws effectively formalized
and reinforced existing practices.
Some local officials reported that a living wage requirement
increased public- support for their business subsidy programs
by assuring,-taxpayers that'public.funds would be spent to
.attract only high wage jobs: ;
• Relatively few local Offitials� reported ' using, their business
; subsidy programs' to attract jobs in low -wage sectors such as
retail, since jobs:'are less beneficial to local residents and
;the economy than higher paying, jobs. The few that did use
subsidies ? to. attract retaitJobs, reported that they were still
generally able, to attract such ern loyers, although. some cities
renegotiated subsidy packages or chose to exempt some busi
nesses,from the living wage.requirement.
A Guide for Local Policy makers
Local governments in ,their findings collected in this study, con-
sistently report that. living'wage• laws cause only small increases in
city. contract ,costs, and do not interfere with city business subsidy
programs.. This snapshot of the actual effects, of fully implemented
living, wage laws in a range of communities provides useful guid-
ance; for policymakers considering adopting such measures.
4
Table 3': Im.pact Laws on City Business Subsidy Programs, 2001
Number of Projects with Number of Projects
Locality Type of Projects' Living Wage Cgriditior s Cancelled Because of
Each Year Living Wage Law
Duluth, Ml. Health iCare, Technology 2 0
Los Angeles, CA
!Mixed Use
3
0
Minneapolis, MN,
Technology
6 -7
". 0
Oakland', CA
Mixed use
I
0
San Antonio,TX
Technoloky, Finance, •
4
' 0 .
Manufacturing
San'Frincisco,CA
Mixed use
I
I
761edo, OH'
Industrial
n/a .
6
Warren,.Ml
Industrial,, Manufacturing
4 -6
.0
Ypsilanti;,Ml
Industrial, ` .
1
0
Ypsilanti' Township, MI
Technology, Industrial
5
0
*` The ten .cities'in'this table, represent all of those nationally that had had a living- wage•requiremenf- fourecipients of city business
subsidies in force for at least one year as of 2001 and that were able to report to us the impact of those:repirements on their economic
development programs.
The Study
The information to this 'report was provided by local officials in,
twenty cities and counties -the ,entire; set of cities' and, counties
that, by ate 2001, both a) had•a living wage law that had been in
force for at least one year, and b), had the'administrative capacity to
produce cost. impact •estimates „formal internal evaluations, or ,her'
empirical ,assessments of the effects of their laws. Collecting such,
information from larger cities •like San Francisco, CA and San
Antonio, TX medium -sized ,cities like Oakland, CA, and smaller'
cities likeMadison, Wl and'Warren, MI,'the,study reflects the expe-
riences of a broad range of communities °with living °wage laws:
BRENN ; ENTER FOR JUSTI "CE
hSCHOOL OF LAW
AT:NYL
The Brennan Center's
'Economic justice ;Proj'e`ct
Good jobs�ate'essential to the long- term .viabiliry`oFour communities
and our economy.• The Brennan Center's Economic Justice. Project
works with coalitions of stakeholders to create, regional solutions to
problems of'job quality, a ad:economic competitiveness., We also work
ata,broader level to help rebuild fhe.core job and safety- nevstandards
that have been dismantled over the past three decades. We
these, efforts to combat growing inequality with. a unique cotribina-
tion oftresearch,,aegal assistance, and policyanalysis.
Brennan Center for Justice
1'61 Avenue of the Americas, 12ih'Floor
New York, New York 1001.3
212 9- 98.6730 fax 21'2;99.5'4550
For more information, contact Paul Sonn at paul.sonn9nyu.edu
A copy of the complete report i.s available on the Brennan' Center's
website at http: / /www bfennance-hte.r ;brg.
•
ince its establishment in July 2000
the University of California Iristi-
tute for Labor and Employment (ILE)
has do ne. much to revitalize academic
research, education, and service pro-
grams focusing on. the s'tate's labor
force. °The ILE builds on the work. of
the Institutes of Industrial Relations
(IIRs) -at UC, Berkeley and UCLA,, es
shed,in 1.945; and on their respec-
Centers for Labor. 'Research and
Education. As a statewide, multicam-
pus research program, the ILE supports
and promotes labor and employment reI- .
search throughout the entire UC system.
The ILE's mission is to study and
find solutions for problems of Ialior
;and` employment in California and.
the nation. The Institute, also - serves'
as a unique bridge between the U
versty and the state's labor commu-
nity by facilitating , ary
and collaborative research opportu-
nities for faculty, professional re-
searchers, postdoctoral scholars,'and
students. The Institute provides fund-
ing support for faculty and students
to participate in research that will Jn-
form the University, policymakers,,
the labor movement, and others of
important trends and changes rel-
evant to the state's workforce.
...Established by an act of the
:Qa'liforn "ia State Legislature, the
ILE: was developed tlrou,gh an in
tensive planning process carried,
out by a,15- person Transition Team
appointed by the University of
California's Office of the President
(UCQP). The team, led by ILE in-
'team co directors Jim Lincoln.and
Paul Ong (then ,Dir,ectors of the
IIRs at UC Berkeley and UCLA, respec-
tively) met frequently during the second .
half of the year 2000 and the early part
of 2001 to craft: a' governance structure
for the•new,Institute:and to adVrise UCOP
on. the selection of the Institute's first
Director. The team also developed a te-
search and fellowship program and
.issued the ILE's first Request for Pro
posals , in the fall of 2000, funding a,
wide variety of faculty research
Please see ILE, page 2
ME i n Attu e ti t me ot Age
projects as well as
graduate, student
fellowships across
the U;C system._
'Subsequent 'RFPs
were is's.ued in
;spring 2001 and
spring 2002.
In early 20.01.,
Ruth M'lkrian, a
UCLA Professor of Sociology whose re-
search career has focused on labor and
workplace issues and - who calso served
on the Transition Team, was;appointed
as ILE.Director. Michael Reich; a UC
Berkeley Professor of Economics,
was appointed as the IL.E's Research
Chair shortly afterward, and the Tran-
sition' Team was
.replaced by'a new,
smaller body, the
eight-
ILE Governing
Council, .which
makes all, m;aj'or ,
policy and budget-
decisions for the
Instituter
The Governing 'Council also estab-
lished a Research Advisory Board,.
which makes funding decisions for
the ILE's grants and fellowship pro-
grams. I.n July 200 1,, the UCOP a-p.-
pointed the ILE's. Advisory Board,
which is chaired by Profestsor-
Manuel Pastor. of UC Santa. Cruz.
The Advisory Board, which, •meets
twice a year, is comprised of faculty
representatives from all UC cam-
puses as well as a wide,range of com-
munity representatives from around
the state.
Peter Olney, the ILE's Associate Di-
rector joined the organzationin;the fall
of 2001. He holds an MBA from UCLA
and has spentrmo.st; of his caree in
organized 'labor.
Additional staff
came on board.
during thesummer
And fall of 2061,1h'-
eluding Margaret;
Leal - Sotelo, Chief
of Staff, and Neal
Sacharow, Cominu- y.
nications Director:
Peter Olney
On March 9, 2001, the ILE ;held its
first major .conference at UCLA, on
"The New Economy and Uriion Re-
sponses." The format of this gathering
was somewhat unconventional..It was.
structured around presentations by
experts, from around the country who
have spent their research careers in
the field of labor and employment,,
in some cases working.in`organzatons
with missions somewhat akin to.that of
the ILE. The speakers were asked to
give programmatic talks about the
kinds of work people,in the labor and
employme"nt.field should be: doing in the
coming years. This was,'in -short, an in-
stitution - building conference that built on
the experiei c&of indivi'duals,and.organi-
zation"s ;from around the United. -States
who have:..been active in labor policy re-
search.
be ff Fs research agenda
ft cores' On: three ke
areas, the new economy,'
C .9 c.
new 0; :and new
w.orkiYrs in G-dZfOrnim
On this basis, the ILE 7d eveloped
a research. ;agenda that focuses on
three key areas: the "new econ_omy,"
new labor,; and - new workers in
Cali fornia-. We are especially :inter-
ested in supporting research on e
nomic policy, that;can help forge a ne
social contract appropriate 'to the re-
cent technological and , organ zational
transformations in the state's work-
places; the: current °revitalization of the
organized Tabor _movement,. which is.
especially concentrated: in California;
and. the, role ,of immigrant workers,
who make up a,large. And,growing pro -
portion of the state's workforce. Al-
though the ILE supports a wide range
of research on labor and employment
topics, these three'. areas are of particu-
lar:importance for us.
The ILE has sought to build- truly
.statewide .capacity through outreach to
alltheU.C.campuses and the communities
surrounding them., :ILE- led. roundtables
bringingtogether faculty, students, labor
leaders, policy, makers, and community
representatives were held iri San Diego.
and Sacramento; 'in the fall .of 2001,
and more are planned for the com=
ing, months.
The ILE''s work both reflects and
contributes to th-`e labor
rnove.ment's "role as a California ` trendsetter for
the nation. Building bridges between
the academy and the world of labor,
with a wide .array of research, ed-
ucaton, and service activities, the .
ILE is an important resource for t'
state :and one that. will continue � _
grow -in visibility: and capacity ,in the
years to, come.
r.,adgates. of the first entirely-
S apish -lan ua e labor leader-
p g g-
ship training in the United States re-
ceived, their diplomas on March 8 at
UCLA. As part of a pioneering, series
of programs funded by the ILE and
offered by the UCLA Labor Center,
"El Colegio de Liderazgo Laboral "pro
moted leadership - development among
union workers throughout the greater,
Los Angeles,.regon.
Twenty -six immigrant workers; rep,
resenting janitors, 'hotel workers, gar
rnentworkers, nursing home and health,
care workers, construction workers,
and security guards,participatedinthe
weeklong, in- residence program.. They
were welcomed to, the campus b
UCLA Vice Chancellor for Re 'search
Roberto Peccei, Labor .Center, Direc-
tor bent Wong,. and Ruth. Milkman,
ector :of the ILE and the UCLA,
titute of Industrial Relations. "We
are very pleased that our Institute is
able, to -open the doors of UCLA, with'
;its many resources, to all of you," Milk-
man said. "I hope this is the first' of
many teaching and learning exchanges,
between your communities and those
of ,us here in the University."
Spanish- speaking immigrant work-
ers make up a large proportion o-f
California's workforce, and many are
turning to organized labor for assis-
tance in addressing workplace issues.
A. new' generation of immigrant labor
leaders is emerging, and it is precisely
this group that the Colegio -is designed.
to serve.
Dent Wong believes that part cipa-
tion in the California,Uruoii- Leadership
School's programs provides a very spe-
opportunity. "It brings together
erienced educators and a broad .
spectrum�of union members to address
the big picture issues that individual
local unions normally don't
have sufficient time °to explore "'
he noted.
Class members °were inspired
by their .experiences. They con
timed the work of the Colegio
into, the evenings with - critical.
reviews of each day's activities, .
small =group discussions and
film screenings. Many of the
-workers said the skills develop-
inent training they received, in-
cluding instruction in public - speaking,
effective one -on -one .conimuriication,
and details on how to conduct ,meet-
ings; would be useful not only at work
but, in other aspects of their lives as
well.
"It `vas exciting 'to' learn about glo-
balization,and its impact on us As im-
migrants," said Aaron Gonzalez of Sei
vice Employees International Union
Local 1'877, which represents Los An
geles'janitors. "I will definitely take this
information back to ri?yunion, as well
as to my community."
"It.. exceeded our most ambitiou's
expectations," said Project Director
Stephanie Arellano, who supervised the
program. "Participants were challenged
to shift their focus from wages and ben-
efits, and to adopt a. broader vision. They`
left with a new understanding of their
roles in their unions, their communi-
'ties and contemporary history,"
'The California Union Leadership.
School will offer additional educa-
tional programs through the. UCLA
and 'UC, Berkeley Laboi'-Centers. 0 -
Colegio Director Stephanie Arellano
0 n February 22, 2002, . faculty
and ,students from several UC
campuses joined labor and community
activists; , in Riverside for an- ILE
funded research, conference on the -,hv
ing wage - movement , Organized by UC.
Riverside:ecoiiornist David'Fairris,, the
gathering drew researchers from:across
the state :and: beyond..
Living wage�.orchnance-s, require , d'e- s
ignated :employers, usually 'those , re
ceivi"ng contracts :and /or economic
development, subsidies frorii local gov-.
ernrnent agencies, to pay wages above.
those required by federal and state
minimum wage laws:
Since Baltimore pa;s'sed a path -
breaking living wage ordinance in 1994,
dozens of - communities nation'
id`e
including° several in California, have
enacted similar, ordinances. The living
wage movement is rooted.in coalitions
Stephanie Luce of
the Labor Center at
the University,ofMas-
sachusetts; Amherst,
began the day with a
keynote presentation
titled, "The Living
Graduate Re' search COi1 iD'rence continued from p.1
to Milkman's presentation, the: open-
ing plenary, titled "The New Labor
Movement:' Perspectives from the
Field also featiured presentations
from Amy Dean
x from the South
_ Bay Central Labor
Council and Raahi
Reddy of the Ser-
vice Employees4r%
Amy Dean ternational Union:
"What I most
liked about the
conference wasthe
e
small intimate at-
rnosphere and the
wonderful choice
Raahi Reddy of" speakers," one.
student,.said ' T appreciated the mterdis-
ciphnary' nature of the gathering;" said
another. `71iis `cross-pollination' of 'stu-
dents with :common issues of concern
is an important contribution of the
ILE', and the focus on joining academ-
ics with activism injected an exciting,
inclusive energy"
The interdisciplinary. conference
included fifteen additional sessions
in which- 50.,gradua €e students.-from
allover the VC system •presented re-
search papers from their ILE- funded
projects. The Bess on.topics included;
Gender :and Labor, :Labor and Political
Discourse, Migration and lUage Structure
n and the U. Labor and,Edu-
cation, Case Studies of Key Sectors in
Los Angeles, White Collar `Work and
Its Discontents, Labor - and Economic
Policy, and Labor and Politics in His-
torical Perspective.
Faculty °-members from around the
state served as � discussants. They, in=
of commmunity groups, faith -based or-
ganizations,, and' labor unions commit-
ted to addressing the problems of the
working poor.
Orr
"From the stand-
dint of the labor
a�z q s f econoirust, " confer-
�} %N ence orgaruzer,Fairris
Y noted, "livirg'wages
Are;of interest because
they provide a vehicle
Da,vid`Fa'irris. -to study employment
.i mpacts and other , related consequences
of raising the minim wage.by align fi-
cant. amount."
Wage Moye.'ment and Questions f0l.
Researchers." Conference presentations
and discussions explored the 'impact of
living wage ordinances • On workers, firms,
and ,local govern=
ments The present- t,
ers included Michael''
Reich, ILE Research
Chair and Professor
of Economics at UC
Be.rkeley'Davi,d
Runsten, aresearcher. David Runsten
at thee. UCLA School. of Public_Policy
and .Social; Research; and. Richard
Sander, UCLA. Professor of Law.
In a lively series of discussions, con -
ference participants identified a host
of research- challenges presented by
living wage laws. Do living wage ordi-
nances eliminate jobs as some oppo-
nents have alleged ?: Do 'they.lead em-
Please.see Living Wage page
cluded Abel Val'eni uela (Urban Plan-
ning and Chicano S'tidies, UCLA);
Dacia Frank (American 'Studies,
UCSC); Michael Burawoy (Sociol-
ogy, UCB) Judy Stepan- Norris (So-
ciology, UCI); David Fairris (Eco-
nomics,,, UCR),; Margaret Weir (Soci-
ology and Political Science,UCB);
Edna Bonaeich (Sociology, UCR)
Paul;Frymer (S;ociology UCS.D)
Maniiet Pastor .(Latino and. Latin.
American. Studies, UCSC); Stuart.
Tannock (Education, UCB); Gilbert:
Go;n'zalez (Chica Studies UCI);
Peter- Evans (Sociology, UC,B);
Nelson Lichte stein Jjistory,
UCSB); and Carol Zabin' (Labor Cen
ter, UCB),
The ILE,`plans to convene simila
conferences; for graduate students in
future years; ®'
he ILE will release a detailed re
pbrt on "The .State of California
Labor "(SCL) in the .fall of 2002. "This�
will be a unique examination of key,
:issues facing the California workforce;"
I-LE Director Ruth Milkman noted'.
"The.SCL will be an important new re-
source for academics, policymakers,
labor .organizations, and community
groups as well as the general public."
The.2002 report will include. analy
sis of newly collected data from an.
ILE - sponsored statewide sample sur-
vey on employment practices and
worker attitudes about a range of is
sues: It. will also include the results
of the. 2001 'Union Census, a data co.l
lection:effort on. in
the state (on which.no data have been
collected since 1987), an ILE project
currently underwayin,partnership with
California Department of Indus
•,
trial Relations The 2002 SCL -will ini
clude,chapters authoredby ZLE- affiliated
scholars on the; following topics:
Job Quality and; Economic Growth
This analysis will focus on. the quality
of jobs in the state,, analyzing° the,
characteristics of jobs; added to the'
state's workforce during the period of
economic expaision.from 1992- 2000,
particularly compared with previous
periodsnof economic growth. This will,
include a comparison between North-
ern and Southern Califo major
metropolitan areas.
Employment Practices
This, chapter will. - analyze newly col-
lected data from the_ 2001 ILE Cali -
fornia Workforce :Survey to
employment practices. and public at-
titudes on a. range of labor- related
public policy issues, based: on a sample
survey of Californians.
he ILE's new postdoctoral fe1-
1'owship program recently com-
p'leied its first round of competition.
The program, designed for recent
Ph.D.s, will support anew generation
of scholars engaged in research on
issues of labor 'and employment.
Each year. the program, sponsors two
postdoctoral fellows one at. UCLA and.
one at UC Berkeley,.
ILE Fellows are selectedi'on a com-
petidve basis and awarded an.ai nual
stipend of $45,50.0 (plus 'benefits) to
gether, with a - $3,000 research,, fund
for the:one- yearprogram,.,Fellows are
free of teaching and other adminis,
trative duties but are expected - . par-
Ph.D. in Economics in. May 2002
;from the University of Chicago and
John Logan,, who holds a 200'0' Ph.D;
in History from UC Davis andis cur-
gently' a lecturer in Industrial Rela-
ti'ons .at the. London School of Eco;-
nomics and Political,.Science. Dube
will be at. UC - Berkeley.�and :Logan
at, UCLA.
Dube is', a labor economiisPt who
, wrote his dissertation on ``.New, I:a-
bor Market: Institutions and .the; Dis=
tribution of Income ". His topic, for
they postdoctoral: year is; . - Qmmu
nity -Based Organizing The Scope of
Collaboration Between <.the Labor:
Movement.'and Ind'ep.en'dent Worker
ti ate in ILE conferences and pro= Centers "
s during the ,fellowship yeah. Logan is ,a historian -whose "'work
w
In.. 2002 -03', the fellows will' be spans a range_ of issues ` rn legal and'
Arindrajit Dube, who will receive ;a labor''history. He has pubhshecl, sev
Union Density in California
This chapter will present a detailed
portrait of the state's union mem-
bership, analyzing union density by
industry, region, and for various de-
mographic groups, and comparing
California to the U.S.
Labor Relations Developments
Recent labor relations developments,
including union representation elec-
tions, major collective bargaining
agreements, and other noteworthy
data on labor relations in California
will be analyzed here.
.Labor Law Enforcement
This chapter will provide .a historical
overview of California's labor legisla-
tion in such areas as wages and hours,
'Workers' compensation, and health and
safety legislation, with a focus on the
recent history of labor law enforce—
ment in the state.
eral articles in industrial relations
journals on employer opposition to
unionization in the U.S., Canada,,
and the =Ulf, and has also written; on,
the ;issue of striker replacements.
His topic for the postdoctoral' -,year
is "Using Public Policy to Revital-
ize the Right to Organize: A Cali-
fornia Case Study."
The ILE Postdoctoral Fellowship
Program was established to encourage
highly quahf ed individuals to pursue
scholarly research on labor and employ-
ment issues in an interdisciplinary : set- -
ting. At each. campus, Fellows have ac-
cess to the :full range of university re-
sources (compu, ter, faculty, libraries,
etc.) and work with an ILE designated
faculty -mentor in an envii-onrnent that
fosters interdisciplinary learning and
collaborative research. ®
T he unionization of homecare
workers in massive'numbers is one
of the proudest achievements of the
California labor movement in the
1990s. In Los Angeles alone; 74,00:0
homecare workers, who feed, bathe,
and clean.for elderly, 'and di'sabled.per-
sons, unionized in 1,99,9 in the ,single.
largest organizing victory- for : the la-
bor movement. since 1.937. These
10 w'-wage, largely :female.: and, minor-
ity workers are -now members of the
Service Employees International. Union
(SEIU).
A new ILE- funded study by
economist Candace Howes of Con-
necticut College and Laura Reif, a
faculty member at`UC`San Francisco,
analyzes the ways in which, the
homecare occupation -has been trans-
formed by,,impr wages acid eon
ditions, thanks. largely to unioniza-
tion and living wage policies. The
high turnover levels that were once
typical of the occupation have de
creased significantly and this stabi-
lization process has in turn led to en
hanced quality of care for .clients+ and
A n ILE R esource :
The UC J R Library
he ILE has provided new re
sources to enhance the excellent
library housed at the,UC Berkeley .In
stitute of Industrial.Relations. Under'
the supervision of Llbrar.y Director
Terence K. Huwe, this facility has
been an important-,source of research
support for many decades, serving
lab or researchefs on and.neattheBef-
keleycampus. With the expa`nsion-of
its electronic and Web: = based ,re-
sources, the: U.CB° IIR library ; i's in
creasingly able to serve as a resource
for the state of California and beyond.
Please iee- Library;, page 7'
to improved living standards for
homecare workers themselves.
This research was showcased in-
Fresno at the Febr -uary 7 "Quality
Homecare,Conference, co- sponsored
by the ILE. More than 150 participants
came..together to discuss the ; policy is-
sues surrounding homecare work.
Three stakeholder groups were repre
rented: unions, disability and senior
consumer organizations, and the
county public authorities who are the
employers of record. Elected officials
in attendance included Cahforriia As-
semblywoman Dion Aroner, `Susan.
Anderson and Bob Waterston from the
Fresno County..Board of Supervisors,
and Henry P'erea, President of the
Fresno City Council.
The conference, organized by
Loretta Stevens, Homecare Coordina-
tor for SEIU's Western Region,. UC
Berkeley Labor Center Director Carol
Zabin,, UCLA .Labor Center Project
Director Linda .DAo, and others from
the ILE Homecare Working Group,
Was a highly effective forum "for dis
seminating .ILE research results to the
commurd
ty 'In addition'to the Ho
Reif findings, presentations in
one by UCLA Urban. Planning: profes-
sor Jackie Leavitt, who shared the re-
sults of her :ILE - funded participatory
research on Los Angeles' homecare
workers' housing;, transportation, and
employme training needs.
As .Zabn explained, participatory re-
search has numerous advantages. In a
project she is coordinating on the labor
market conditions for homecare work -
ers, 'in Alameda County, workers them -'
selves helped to design the survey in-
strument;�and to .conduct interviews.
"You getvery high quality`data this way,"
Zabin said. "Not only arethe- questions
sharper, but, respondents tend ,to give
more:accurate answers because -of their
built -in trust for the questioners. "'
This was the -first -ever forum bring-
ing together homecare researchers with
key,stakeholder:groups.m the corn
nity and in the labor movement. It
emplifies the potential for fruitful ex-
change between 'researchers, activists,
and policymakers, that. the ILE is de-
signed to facilitate.
I
workers for those
#Ilem "educated atlow
y employed er wages, a
phenomenon sometimes called "la-
bor-la'bor substitution "? What impacts
do economic downturns have on the
passage of living wage ordin- atios?
These are among the questions the re-
searchers present at the conference
are investigating.
The mix of different disciplines
and experiences represented .at the
conference made for a dynamic event:
"It's exciting , to see academic. 'atten-
tion drawn away'from the iv.ory,tower.
and theories and toward the xea_l
world;' Fairris said. He plans to :
tinue to build -a s tatewide research
community - on th& living wage" ques-
tion and to com ile' an;edited volume
on the topic.
The library specializes in materials,on
labor employment, and industrial, vela -
tions and maintains a print collection
of m`o_re than 70;000 volumes. Thaii'ks
to interlibrary loan, these materials are,
available- not only to local researchers
but to scholars throughout the .state of
C'aliforni'a and beyond. The library also
hosts public exhibitions of labor art .
and ±photography and offers regular train-
: ing, sessions to interested, researchers
Its Web site offers, a wide variety of'„
'research resources and, with II E sup
port, is currently expan&ftgthat,.com
ponent of its work. Please visit the site
, at http: / /fir.berkele-y.edu /library..
An important priority for the library,
staff is providing reference services' by
telephone and e -mail to researchers
throughout the state. To contact a ref
,ce librarian atthe UCB IIR library,
Tease call (510)6421705 or e -mail
4 t @socrates.berkeleyedu.
The ILE is ` in the process conside'rihga research '- - ' - 'nd fellowshios for funding. in the 200243
. 1. V grantsa
academic year. This!is the third round' of competition for such
may involve exploratory research on
topics that have ,riot been extensively istudied,' recent years; they may be analytical,. they -may be, quan'
qualitative th te 'may be concerned v 6A cy design A Applications for. prqj'ecrs on any labor, and
? y ign an appraisal:
topic will be seriously consi6ered. but the ;Institute 'al cons glye - speci sidera-don. to high - quality re-
search bintly �y
.Proposals that have been developedj by .university faculty and labor organizations commuhit -based
organizatfon's, or. other policy organizations that-.are Working to improve the social and economic well-being of
California's working families: ,Proposals will be reviewed by the ILEs eight- member Research Adv isory Bpard.
W oil
J ,
M
OR
__
Institute ute for !Labor and Employment. Uftiversity-of'California
UCLA Box 951478
Los Angeles,,CA 900r954478
Non-Profit
Organization
U. I S1. Pottage
PAID
U..C.L.A.
•
' diires
proce
For �,apFihcatioricovershe-,ets�.budaetworksh ca
eet5,, mpus and additional information,
including a list of prey i0ifs,grantees, consult d Web site 2athttp://,w,ww. cop.-edu/jle;
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Who* Are
Qur, staff is made, up of a diverse group
of individuals with decades :of experience
working a labor issues. as researchers -
educators„ organizers,- and union, leaders.
Our Advisory -Board includes Northern
California labor .leaders, labor educators,
communitractivists and 'UC. Berkeley
faculty with expertise in labor• issues..
What We Do.
The Labor Center provides educational,
research, and other programs that
,increase the California , labor.'movement's.
capacity for
v Organize and represent workers in new
and traditional industries. r
e Reach : out to immigrants, young workers,
people .of color,. and women.
v' Identify and advance policies that improve
low -wage jobs and.narrow° 'income gaps.
• Develop a,new;and diverse generation of
labor'leaders.
Education
CALIFORNLA UNION LEADERSHIP SCHOOL:
Week -long residential - :course for executive
union officers on economics„ politics, and
strategic,power. (Co- sponsored by the ILE)
STRATEGIC CAMPAIGNS AND I06(isTRIAL
TARGETING: Training'for organising, directors,
officers, and other leaders on how to plan
and implement'.corriprehensve, public
campaigns.
ADVANCED1SKILLS DEVELOPMENT': Training for
chief officers and staff on how to effectively
manage complex :labor organizations, including
finance and communications.
Research
ECONOMIC AND POLICY ANALYSIS: Applied
research that provides practitioners with useful
information about labor °markets and policy
initiatives.
STRATEGIC RESEARCH: Research and technical
support that help unions analyze and develop
effective organizing strategies for their industries
and constituencies:
PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH: Programs that involve
workers. in research about `their own workplaces
and communities.
University- Labor Collaborations
LABOR SUMMER: A. two = month :internship
program thatplaces UC: students in unions
and community groups for training, research,
and on- the- ground campaign support:
COMMUNITY SCHOLARS: A;semester -long, seminar
in which labor and community organizers
collaborate. with graduate students on action
research - projects.
CONVENINGS'c Confererices,.{seminars, and
working, groups that bring, stakeholders,
together to, discuss h glr -priority issues and;
build consensus for policy reform.
Accomplishroents
During the past three years" Labor'
Center has'?
a Provided academic ; research and expert_
testimony that contributed to the passage
of hiving wage ordinances in California....
Convened 'a community sand labor coalition.
'that played a key` role : in. advancing the new
AFL -C10 policy .on immigration..
Placed - UC students in two month summer
internships: with 58 community and labor
organizations.
• Incubated innovative immigrant worker
and young worker organzing`projects.
• Produced .research, videos and ,curricula
on key topics including,, homecare,
childcare, farm labor, young. workers,
and globalization.,
The labor, Center is a program of UC Berkeley's
Institute of;Industnal Relations.andthe Institutefor
Labor - and' Employment (ILE)„ astatewide resea_ rch
program of the University of California.