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August Meeting Recap

Minimum Wage Campaign Update 

The ECDC’s lobbying and organizing efforts on increasing the minimum wage in El Cerrito persuaded the City Council on Tuesday, August 18, 2015,  to hold a  study session to discuss creating an ordinance to increase the minimum wage. They directed City staff to draft an ordinance that would set the minimum wage at $15 per hour for all workers employed in El Cerrito by either 2018 or 2020.

The Club’s efforts are NOT finished. We still need to make sure this ordinance get enacted by January 1, 2016. Stay tuned for more opportunities to stay involved on this issue.

Meeting Recap

The August meeting featured a discussion of “high” policy importance. Sean Donahoe, co-founder of the California Cannabis Industry Association presented on what’s happened and what the future looks like for cannabis policy reform. Sean provided an in-depth background on how Washington and Colorado are doing after legalizing recreational and medical use of marijuana. He spoke about the 2016 election and the anticipated ballot measure. Sean answered a multitude of questions from Club members.

The meeting was also covered in the Contra Costa Times.

 

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September Meeting Preview

Tuesday, September 22 6:00 p.m

Zion Presbyterian Church 545 Ashbury Ave.

Saturday, October 10 is around the corner. Be sure to purchase your annual dinner tickets!

BART Director Rebecca Saltzman and BART Director Zakhary Mallett will present Better BART, Better Bay Area to the Club.  BART has a nine member elected Board of Directors, and El Cerrito is represented by both Directors.  They will present an update on current BART ridership numbers, projects and conditions, and a look at upcoming and potential projects and funding.  They will also discuss the challenges ahead and will ask  for your ideas and comments, with plenty of time for your questions.

More about our speakers:

Rebecca Saltzman was elected to the BART Board on November 6, 2012. Director Saltzman represents District 3, which includes Albany (partial), Berkeley (partial), Oakland (partial), Piedmont, San Leandro (partial), Unincorporated Alameda County (partial), El Cerrito (partial), Lafayette (partial), Moraga, Orinda and Unincorporated Contra Costa County (partial).

Before she was elected, Director Saltzman spent years as a public transit and policy advocate, coalition builder, grassroots organizer, and manager with local, state, and national issue-based organizations.

In addition to her service on the BART Board, Saltzman also works as the government affairs manager for a statewide environmental organization.

Saltzman graduated with a BA in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley. She lives in Oakland, and relies on BART, buses, and walking to get around.

Zakhary Mallett was first elected to represent the residents of BART’s Seventh District during the November, 2012 General Election. The Seventh District includes Albany (partial), Berkeley (partial), Emeryville, Oakland (partial), El Cerrito (partial), Hercules, Pinole, Richmond, San Pablo, Unincorporated Contra Costa County (partial) and San Francisco (partial).

A Bay Area native, Director Mallett took a quite-fascination in transit at a young age. Before being elected to the BART Board, Mallett participated civically in several transportation and regional planning study initiatives for more than ten years.

Consistent with his passion, Director Mallett is trained as a City/Transportation Planner by profession.  He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies from Stanford University and has a Master of City Planning (MCP) degree with a Transportation Planning emphasis from the University of California, Berkeley.

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Action Alert: El Cerrito City Council Discusses Increasing Minimum Wage Tuesday Night

The El Cerrito City Council discusses increasing the minimum wage in El Cerrito on Tuesday, August 18 at 7:00 p.m.  We need Club members to show up and express their support for a higher minimum wage in the City.  Let’s show our electeds and the community the ECDC is a force to be reckoned with!

The Club passed a resolution in May supporting a higher minimum wage in El Cerrito because a person who works full time should earn enough to pay for her or his basic living expenses.

Working households can’t survive on the current minimum wage while struggling to afford the high cost of living in our City and throughout the Bay Area.

A higher minimum wage rate helps households become more economically stable, protects public safety/health, reduces employee turnover within businesses and provides a boost for the local economy.

Since passing the resolution,  our Club gained the support of local businesses, community groups, residents, other Democratic Clubs and elected officials.

Here’s the list of supporters:

El Cerrito business owners, community groups and residents.
Martin Kaliski, Owner, Marty’s Motors
John Stashik, Owner, Premier Graphics
Gerald Sandlin, Owner, Grand Barber Shop
Eddie and Julie Pledger, Owners, Velocity Lock and Key
Otis Timmons, Owner, Raphael’s Shutter Cafe
El Cerrito Democratic Club
NAACP El Cerrito Chapter
El Cerrito Committee on Aging
El Cerrito Crime Prevention Committee
Todd Groves, WCCUSD School Board President*
Pamela Mirabella, Area 1 Trustee/President, CCC Board of Education*
Rochelle Pardue Okimoto, CADEM AD15 Delegate and DPCCC Alternate
Dave Weinstein, Freelance Journalist
Nicholas Galloro, Community Activist
Ronnie Polonski, Community Activist
Helen Dickey, Community Activist
Ruth Breech, Community Activist
Al Miller, Community Activist

2. Officials, clubs and committees serving El Cerrito and the greater area.
Asm. Tony Thurmond AD15
John Gioia, Contra Costa County Supervisor*
Valerie Cuevas, WCCUSD School Board Member*
Rebecca Saltzman, BART District 3 Director*
Vincent Casalaina, Vice Chair, CADEM Progressive Caucus*
Democratic Party of Contra Costa County
East Bay Young Democrats

3. Other Supporters.
Jesse Arreguin, Berkeley City Councilmember*
James Chang, Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board Member*
Yvonne Steffen, Community Activist

*Titles of endorsers are for reference only

We want the City Council to enact a minimum wage ordinance by January 1, 2016 with amount and annual adjustments no less than those set forth in the City of Richmond.

A higher rate can’t wait.  See you Tuesday night.

-Carla Hansen, El Cerrito Democratic Club President