CHICAGO MINIMUM WAGE FOR LARGE EMPLOYERS DRAFT ORDINANCE May 28,2014
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago is a home-rule municipality in accordance with the constitution of the State of Illinois of 1970; and
WHEREAS, the city has the authority to adopt ordinances and to promulgate rules and regulations pertaining to its government and affairs in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of its citizens; and
WHEREAS, the city council finds that the growth of low-wage jobs is worsening poverty in Chicago and forcing more working individuals and families to rely on taxpayer-funded programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, and food pantries to make ends meet; and
WHEREAS, the city council finds that the growth of low-wage jobs is also hurting the city's economy, which needs a workforce that can afford to spend to drive economic activity and sustain growth; and
WHEREAS, the city council finds that in particular large employers, such as the city's fast food and retail chains, are some of the top sources of low-wage jobs in the city, despite the fact that many of these companies are highly profitable major corporations; and
WHEREAS, the city council finds that while the state of Illinois is considering raising the state minimum wage, the state is unlikely to raise it to a high enough level to enable low-wage workers to meet their basic needs without relying on taxpayer-funded programs for support; and
WHEREAS, the city council find that because the costs of living and housing in Chicago are much higher than in other parts of Illinois, Chicago needs a higher minimum wage that better reflects the needs of the local workforce and economy; and
WHEREAS, the city council finds that the city of Seattle recently approved phasing its minimum wage up to $15 and across the country other high-cost cities like New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco are proposing to do the same; and
WHEREAS, city council finds that a $15 minimum wage would improve the lives of more than 500,000 working Chicagoa...
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