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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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July 4th Booth Volunteers Needed

The Club will be tabling at the City of El Cerrito/WorldOne 4th of July Festival and WE NEED VOLUNTEERS.

We typically staff two people on a two-hour shift with additional work on the set up and break down. The event goes from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., though we ususally start breaking down the booth at 5:00 p.m.

If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact ecdc.pres@gmail.com or (510) 375-4265.

Here’s the schedule-

Set up-8:30 a.m.

10:00-Noon

12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m. -4:00 p.m.

4:00 p.m. -Breakdown

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May Club Meeting

by Arlin Robins

Regular Club Meeting

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

6:00 p.m.

Zion Presbyterian Church

545 Ashbury Ave

Our guest will be Miranda Dietz, who will discuss Minimum Wage.

Miranda Dietz is a researcher at the University of California Berkeley Labor Center. She is co-editor of When Mandates Work: Raising Labor Standards at the Local Level along with Michael Reich and Ken Jacobs. She has written on local enforcement of labor standards, low-wage airport workers, and temporary workers in California. In addition to research on low-wage workers, Miranda focuses on health care and health reform in California. She is involved in the California Simulation of Insurance Markets microsimulation model (CalSIM). Her analysis has focused on churn in and out of insurance coverage and on the remaining uninsured in California. Miranda received a Masters in Public Policy from UC Berkeley in 2012, and Bachelors in Government from Harvard University.

We will have a second presenter from Evolve who will speak on their latest campaign on modifying Prop 13. The new campaign is called “Make It Fair”.

Other items on the May 26 meeting agenda:

  1. Resolution Supporting National Day of Action – Medicare
  2. Discussion and approval of clarification/changes in By-Laws section regarding Member in Good Standing – ECDC membership and membership dues.
    • Please restrict comments to the specific subject under discussion. This will allow us to keep focus and complete each section of the By-Laws, as they are brought before the membership.
  3. Request for committee volunteers: Contact will be Carla Hanson for all committees.
    • 4th of July Committee – to man ECDC Booth at EC 4th Festival –Carla Hansen heading
    • Bar-B-Que Committee for August meeting. Nick Arzio heading
    • Other committees as time permits.