http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-los-angeles-minimum-wage-unions-20150526-story.html

L.A. labor leaders seek minimum wage exemption for firms with union workers
Rusty Hicks

Rusty Hicks, head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, says firms with unionized workers should have the "freedom" to set their own pay rates. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

By PETER JAMISON, DAVID ZAHNISER AND EMILY ALPERT REYES contact the reporters

Labor leaders, who were among the strongest supporters of the citywide minimum wage increase approved last week by the Los Angeles City Council, are advocating last-minute changes to the law that could create an exemption for companies with unionized workforces.


The push to include an exception to the mandated wage increase for companies that let their employees collectively bargain was the latest unexpected detour as the city nears approval of its landmark legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020.

For much of the past eight months, labor activists have argued against special considerations for business owners, such as restaurateurs, who said they would have trouble complying with the mandated pay increase.

But Rusty Hicks, who heads the county Federation of Labor and helps lead the Raise the Wage coalition, said Tuesday night that companies with workers represented by unions should have leeway to negotiate a wage below that mandated by the law.

"With a collective bargaining agreement, a business owner and the employees negotiate an agreement that works for them both. The agreement allows each party to prioritize what is important to them," Hicks said in a statement. "This provision gives the parties the option, the freedom, to negotiate that agreement. And that is a good thing."


Coalition representatives said the proposed exemption would ensure the city complies with federal laws which they say give collective bargaining agreements precedence over local ordinances. They also contend that it would keep L.A.'s ordinance consistent with previous city wage laws.

Some business leaders criticized the proposal, however, calling it ironic in light of union leaders' past opposition to special considerations for some employers.

"I'd refer everyone back to the statements of labor leaders over the past seven months that no one deserves a sub-minimum wage," said Ruben Gonzalez, senior vice president for public policy and political affairs with the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, which opposed the minimum wage increase passed by the City Council.

Gonzalez said the change sought by labor officials could pressure companies into letting employees unionize as a way to seek relief from the mandated wage hike.

"Once again, the soaring rhetoric of helping the working poor is just a cover for city government acting as a tool of organized labor," he said.


The City Council voted last week to gradually increase the hourly minimum wage to $15 over the next five years. Since then, City Atty. Mike Feuer has prepared an ordinance that would put the increases into effect. The council's Economic Development Committee is scheduled to review the language on Friday.

Last fall, the council approved an ordinance increasing the minimum wage at large hotels to $15.37 per hour. That law says that provisions of the hotel wage hike may be waived in workplaces that have collective bargaining agreements.







So basically, we all know $15 is too high, but the 2% of all americans who are even on MW are going to get screwed regardless.

Welp, we need to start asking why companies don't pay more. You can't just raise the wage floor out of poverty.

This creates an incentive for workers to de-unionize...union participation is already at an all-time low. This is so weird. We already know that the government wants to be our bank, our religion, and our humanitarian providers, but it looks like the government is going to take over unions, too.

And yes, the irony is nothing short of hilarious.
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I mean, as absurd as $15 NATIONALLY would be, its wild to see that even locally some places can't support it.

Despite their appearances, these people in power are usually not complete idiots like this...I'm surprised that it got this far and they didn't fabricate a different way to put the brakes on. They know it will put people out of work and they know there will be other unforeseen side effects, and they know they'll get the blame.

>I mean, as absurd as $15 NATIONALLY would be, its wild to see
>that even locally some places can't support it.


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http://i.imgur.com/81XSukd.jpg <-- Happy trails

LOL

Raising the MW doesn't change that much if you're still making MW.

We all support increases, but you can't just inflate the number forever

I can't see this sort of thing being sustainable.

as it must.

if it jumps to $10/hr now it'll eventually hit $15/hr and higher.

either we support the idea of a MW or we don't. it sounds like you don't. which is what it is.

but if we're going to have a MW it has to be a living wage - a wage that actual real ppl can afford. if real ppl can't afford to live on the MW then it's meaningless.

and i strongly disagree w/the notion that a 'too high' MW sends a bad message to anyone. but even if it does i disagree that $15/hr is 'too high'. $15/hr sounds about right - ppl can live on that. if businesses can't afford to pay employees that rate then the businesses shouldn't have employees. i'm fine w/that too.

none of the arguments i've heard against the increase are convincing.

That's why it's awesome being me. I look down on people for all kinds of arbitrary shit. You can be richer, smarter and more handsome, I'll still find a way to make myself feel superior. I'm totes okay with everyone getting paid because I'm still better. My delusion sustains me.

niggers, basically...w/o regard for race.

if 'everyone' is paid at least $15/hr then all of us move a little close to being a nigger. unless OUR wage increases at a rate to put us on a level where we are further from the nigger rate.

w/o income disparity how do we know where we sit on the food chain? are we gonna institute actual classes?

maybe that's how the MW thing can be sold - $15/hr minimum but we're bringing back feudal class ranks. so a person can earn $18/hr but they're a merchant which puts them above a serf making $15/hr so it's all good. <-- that might be the key.

>maybe that's how the MW thing can be sold - $15/hr minimum but
>we're bringing back feudal class ranks. so a person can earn
>$18/hr but they're a merchant which puts them above a serf
>making $15/hr so it's all good. <-- that might be the key.

LOL

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When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
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You cannot hate people for their own good.

but rather, "let's raise the standard of living of our poor" or "lets pay workers enough to get off public assistance".

not even realizing its coming out of our collective pockets anyway


~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

Dunning-Kruger.

>


~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

The minimum wage is there to protect workers from exploitation. But if the wages are negotiated by the union, then that's the union's job.

But people are anti-labor nowadays. God knows why.

good point.

this give unions tremendous leverage. Non-union workers have no leverage, and can't negotiate for anything. A non-union laborer accepting less than minimum wage is never a choice. Unionize workers could decide that it may make sense to go for a wage below $15 in order to get other benefits.

I think y'all being a bit too knee jerk on this one.

Could lead to more unionized workers, which could lead to even more leverage.

it's chess not checkers.


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"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson


"One of the most important things in life is what Judge Learned Hand described as 'that ever-gnawing inner doubt as to whether you're

the opposition makes it clear what the unions are going for: "Gonzalez said the change sought by labor officials could pressure companies into letting employees unionize as a way to seek relief from the mandated wage hike."

The reason why minimum wage is currently an issue is that most workers have little to no negotiating power in the wage setting process.

Many Western Euro countries have no legally mandated minimum wage but have something set by collective bargaining