Monday, November 2, 2015

New Contract for Milwaukie Library Workers Includes Living Wage for All City Workers

Library and other city workers in Milwaukie, Oregon have ratified a new contract that includes wage increases and increased time off during the holidays. The previous contract expired in July. The workers are members of AFSCME City of Milwaukie Local 350-5.

Part of the contract negotiations included prompting by the union for the city to pay all of its workers a living wage. From the article:
“We’ve talked about community based bargaining for a long time to make the workplace a better place whether you’re part of the union or not,” said Milwaukie’s Reference Librarian Sarah Lander, secretary for the board that coordinates about a dozen AFSCME groups countywide. 
Mayor Mark Gamba agrees with the calculations of activists of $15 as number that would constitute a minimum hourly living wage.
“The issue was keeping us from being able to complete negotiations with the union,” Gamba said. “So (the resolution) was both an expedient way to move that issue off the table while making a statement to the state that we believe the minimum wage should be a living wage.”

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