[GPCA Updates] GPCA first to endorse initiative to dramaticallyincrease state minimum wage

[Jim Stauffer]

                        News Advisory
                 THE GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA
                      www.cagreens.org

	
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 20, 2005
 

Green Party of California first to endorse
initiative to dramatically increase state
minimum wage to help ‘working poor' 

SACRAMENTO  (October 20, 2005) – An initiative filed this week to
dramatically raise the state's hourly minimum wage – to as much as $8.75
from the current $6.75 within three years – has been endorsed by the Green
Party of California. The "California Fair Wage Initiative" would appear on
the November 2006 ballot.

Language for several versions of the initiative were officially filed
earlier this week by representatives of Californians for Fair Wages (CFW),
including Barry Hermanson, a Green Party Assembly candidate in San
Francisco and Pat Driscoll, former Green congressional candidate from
Sacramento.

A coalition of social justice, and labor representatives formed CFW
following Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's veto – for the second year in a row
– of a modest proposal to raise the hourly minimum wage to a modest $7.75
in two years.

The minimum wage – despite significant increases for housing, food and
energy – has not been raised since 2002. To equal, in purchasing power, the
state minimum wage paid in 1968, the state's lowest-paid workers would have
to earn about $9.50 an hour today. California is now offers the lowest
minimum wage in the West.

One version of the initiative – the final version won't be decided upon
until December – would  raise the minimum wage to $8.75 an hour over three
years, with an annual cost of living increase (COLA) automatically included
to keep pace with inflation. A second version raises the minimum hourly
wage to $7.75 an hour in two years, with a COLA. This version also would
add one-half of the annual COLA to allow workers to recover purchasing
power lost over the past 35 years.  

"We believe this initiative, whatever the final language will be, is not
nearly enough for our minimum wage workers. But, it is a much more
progressive step than what has been taken by either the governor, of the
Legislature. It's a fair initiative, for workers, for business and for
California," said Driscoll, a GPCA official spokesperson and treasurer for
CFW.