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ECDC Passes Minimum Wage Resolution-Message from the Club President

On Tuesday, May 26, 2015, the El Cerrito Democratic Club passed a resolution  urging the El Cerrito City Council to enact a minimum wage ordinance  with amounts and annual adjustments no lower than the than those set forth in the City of Richmond’s minimum wage ordinance by January 1, 2016.

Getting a minimum wage ordinance passed in El Cerrito is one of the Club’s strategic goals and passing a resolution was the first step.

Now it’s time to get the word out.

First stop, the El Cerrito City Council.

The President and Vice President will introducing the ordinance and kicking off the campaign at the June 2, 2015 City Council meeting.

We need Club members to show up and give their support.

Executive Board members will be at the following meetings speaking about the Club’s resolution to bring awareness to the issue to build momentum. Please join them if you can.

  • Tuesday, June 2-El Cerrito City Council Meeting-7:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, June 3-Human Relations Commission 7:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday, June 16-El Cerrito City Council Meeting 7:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, June 25, Economic Development Commission 7:30 p.m.
  • All meeting are at El Cerrito City Hall-10890 San Pablo Avenue

This is an important campaign workers and residents in the City of El Cerrito.  Working households can’t survive on the current minimum wage and while struggling to afford the high cost of living in the Bay Area.  A high minimum wage rate helps households become more economically stable, protects public safety/health, reduces employee turnover within businesses, improves job performance of employees and provides a boost for the local economy.

Things to consider:

  • Federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour
  • California minimum wage is $9.00 per hour ($10 per hour by 2016)
  • Seven of 10 low wage occupations (service workers, waiters, retail sales, cashiers etc) are expected to see large job growth in the next 10 years
  • 13.5 percent of El Cerrito households earn less than $25,000 per year
  • Most of the job industry within the City of El Cerrito are retail or service-oriented

Text of the Club’s min wage resolution is below:

WHEREAS, a person who works full time in the City of El Cerrito should earn enough to pay for his or her basic living expenses; and

WHEREAS, the cost of living in West Contra Costa County is significantly higher than the state average; and

WHEREAS, in 2014, Richmond became the first city in West Contra Costa County to pass a municipal minimum wage ordinance to help fill the gap between the California state minimum wage and our higher-than-average local cost of living;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the El Cerrito Democratic Club calls on the El Cerrito City Council to enact by January 1st, 2016, a municipal minimum wage with amounts and annual adjustments no lower than those set forth in the City of Richmond’s Minimum Wage Ordinance.

Let’s build momentum and help build our local economy by supporting working households and families. Raise the minimum wage!

-Carla Hansen, ECDC President

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2014 Annual Dinner tickets available now

Join us on October 4 with Fiona Ma, ECDC-Endorsed candidate for Board of Equalization and former California Assembly-member.

Purchase tickets via PayPal on the ECDC website. Or mail us a check at El Cerrito Democratic Club, PO Box 192, El Cerrito, CA 94530. $40 per person.

About Fiona Ma

Fiona Ma was elected to represent the people of California’s 12th Assembly District from November 2006 to November 2012 (after serving the maximum of three terms.) She was the #112th woman to ever be elected to the California Legislature and the first Asian woman to serve as Speaker pro Tempore since 1850.

Assemblywoman Ma first became interested in politics as a small business owner and a Certified Public Accountant advocating on behalf of other small businesses. She was an elected delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business under President Bill Clinton, which produced a report to Congress on the 60 top policy recommendations to help small businesses grow and prosper in the 21st century.

She formally entered the field of politics in 1995, serving as a part-time district representative for the former President pro Tempore of the California Senate, John Burton. It was a position that would last for seven years, after which she was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, where she served for four years until 2006. During her tenure on the Board of Supervisors, she authored the landmark Local Business Enterprise ordinance on behalf of women and minority business owners and passed legislation to tackle human trafficking.

While serving in the Assembly, in addition to NCSL, Fiona served as Western States Chair of Women in Government; was an Executive Board Member of the California Democratic Party; and is Member of the Aspen Institute’s 2009 Class of Aspen-Rodel Fellows.

She is currently on the Board of CA Women Lead; Board of Directors for Curry Without Worry;  Board of Directors of Asian Inc; President of the Asian American Donor Program Honorary Chair and Spokesperson of the San Francisco Hep B Free Campaign; and Honorary California Chair of the New Leaders Council. She serves on the Advisory Boards of the James L. Brady Riding Program for Children with Disabilities, Family Connections, Alliance for Girls and the SF Ethnic Dance Festival.  She is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild.

 

 

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ECDC Endorsements – Nov 2014 Election

A crowd of about 80 people was in attendance for our August endorsement forums at El Cerrito High School. ECDC Executive Vice President Greg Lyman moderated five sessions, and the ECDC made the following candidate endorsements:

  • Tony Thurmond – Assembly District 15
  • Al Miller – Stege Sanitary District
  • Dwight Merrill – Stege Sanitary District
  • John Marquez – Contra Costa Community College Board

The club made no endorsement in the West Contra Costa School Board race. Seven candidates and two surrogate speakers attended the forum, and the resulting vote split meant that no candidate achieved the 60% threshold required to earn the club’s endorsement.

In the West Contra Costa Healthcare District race, no candidates attended the forum, and on the endorsement ballot no candidate crossed the 60% threshold.

Following some procedural votes the club unanimously voted to endorse

  • Andy Katz – East Bay MUD

Finally, the club considered El Cerrito’s proposed extension of Measure R, and voted to endorse the Yes position. Following a member inquiry, the ballot measure language can be found on the Contra Costa elections website.

  • Yes on El Cerrito Measure R

The club will consider endorsements in additional races, including El Cerrito City Council and Kensington PPCSD, at the Aug 26 and Sep 23 club meetings.