Chicago $15 wage? Lawmakers propose hike.
聽A group of聽Chicago聽aldermen on Wednesday introduced a proposal to boost the聽minimum聽wage聽in the nation's third-largest city to $15 an hour, joining officials in other major U.S. cities who also are considering a hike.
The group proposing the $15 Chicago wage is separate from a panel聽Chicago聽Mayor聽Rahm Emanuel聽named last week among aldermen, labor and business leaders to provide recommendations for raising the聽minimum聽wage.
础濒诲别谤尘补苍听Ricardo Munoz聽said 12 to 15 of the 50 council members support the proposal to raise the聽minimum聽wage聽to $15 per hour and he expected more to join.
The increase would match the聽minimum聽pay that fast-food workers have sought during national protests and would help聽Chicago's economy, Munoz said.
"Study after study demonstrates that when you put money into the pockets of consumers, they spend it," Munoz said. "They don't hoard it in their mattresses."
Illinois聽lawmakers on Wednesday approved an advisory referendum for the November ballot that asks whether the state's聽minimum聽wage聽should be raised to $10 an hour from $8.25. Governor聽Pat Quinn聽said he would sign the bill.
Seattle聽Mayor聽Ed Murray聽announced a plan earlier in May to raise the聽minimum聽wage聽to $15 an hour, making it the first major U.S. city to commit to such a high base level of pay. The proposal awaits approval by the city council.
New York and聽San Diego聽also are considering such raises.
Minimum聽wage聽increases have been considered in 38 states this year in a national push by Democrats. President Barack Obama urged聽Congress聽to raise the federal聽minimum聽wage聽to $10.10 per hour from $7.25, but did not get support from the Republican-controlled聽U.S. House of Representatives.
In a bipartisan vote on Tuesday,聽Michigan聽approved raising the聽minimum聽wage聽to $9.25 per hour by 2018..
Darlene Pruitt, a聽Chicago聽home healthcare worker who makes $10.65 an hour and supports the $15 proposal, said before the city council meeting that she sometimes goes to the church food pantry for help.
"I have to choose between food and medication," she said.
Emanuel's panel must make a report within 45 days. The panel includes the聽Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, which opposes an increase.
"We think it puts us at a competitive disadvantage," Chamber Chief Executive聽Theresa Mintle聽said. (Editing by David Bailey, Bernadette Baum and Eric Walsh)
