title
Motion of the Council of Allegheny County expressing the sense of Council regarding potential legislation allowing for minimum wage standards to be set at the county level within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
body
WHEREAS, low wages, and a high cost of living in the County of Allegheny relative to other parts of the state create serious economic and social problems for many constituents;
WHEREAS, Allegheny County is the home to over 1.2 million Pennsylvanians, and should have the right to set a living wage for them;
WHEREAS, when workers earn decent wages, such wages can also boost the growth of the local economy;
WHEREAS, many Allegheny County workers earning a poverty wage in full-time jobs cannot survive on those wages alone and are forced to have multiple low wage jobs;
WHEREAS, many low wage workers are people of color who have long been over-represented and trapped in poverty wage jobs;
WHEREAS, many Allegheny County work long hours yet still cannot afford housing, food, medical care, and other basic necessities;
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed how essential workers necessary to keep services operating-such as grocery stores, health care facilities, and sanitation services-face increased exposure to COVID-19 while being overworked and underpaid with little to no job security;
WHEREAS, increasing the minimum wage at the local level would help establish a minimum wage that reflects the cost of living for residents of Allegheny County;
WHEREAS, increasing the minimum wage promotes the health, safety, and welfare of those who work in Allegheny County; and
WHEREAS, the PA General Assembly has repeatedly failed to pass living wage legislation in the Commonwealth forcing workers in Allegheny County to live in poverty despite, in some cases, working multiple low wage jobs; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania Representative Kevin Boyle has indicated that will introduce legislation that would allow Pennsylvania counties to ra...
Click here for full text