ORDINANCE
WHEREAS, The City of Chicago is a home-rule unit of government under Article VII, Section 6(a) ofthe 1970 Constitution ofthe State of Illinois and, as such, may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs; and
WHEREAS, Promoting the welfare of those who work within the City's borders is an endeavor that plainly meets this criterion; and
WHEREAS, After years of inaction by the United States Congress, it is time for cities and states to lift families out of poverty and stimulate the economy by raising the minimum wage; and
WHEREAS, Enacting a minimum wage for workers in Chicago that exceeds the state minimum wage is entirely consistent with the Illinois General Assembly's finding that it "is against public policy for an employer to pay to his employees an amount less than that fixed by" the Illinois Minimum Wage Law, 820 ILCS 105/2; and
WHEREAS, Rising inflation has outpaced the growth in the minimum wage, leaving the true value of lllinois's current minimum wage of $8.25 per hour 32% below the 1968 level of $10.71 per hour (in 2013 dollars); and
WHEREAS, Although the current state minimum wage for tipped employees is $4.95 an hour, tipped employees in the Chicago region earn, on average, $10.50 an hour once tips are factored into their income; and
WHEREAS, As the value of wages decline, the Great Recession has brought more families to the brink of economic collapse - according to the U.S. Census, 22.1% of Chicagoans live below the poverty level, compared to 13.7% ofthe Illinois population and 14.9% ofthe national population; and
WHEREAS, In Chicago, rent as a percentage of income has risen to 31%, from a historical average of 21%, and, according to U.S. Commerce Department data, Chicagoland is the only metropolitan region in Illinois that ranks above the national average in cost-of-living expenses; and
WHEREAS, The increasing unaffordability of life in Chicago for so many of its residents illustrates the profound...
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