The Portland City Council voted in favor of giving 150 contractors and some full-time workers a raise.
BY JACOB PALMER | DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR
The Portland City Council voted in favor of giving 150 contractors and some full-time workers a raise to $15 an hour.
The positions affected by the policy change: Parking attendants, security guards and janitorial staff, as well as 11 full-time employees of the city.
From OregonLive.com:
All members of the council agreed that Wednesday’s action is just a first step, but an important one, in addressing income inequality in Portland. The mayor said he was proud of the council for acting quickly. “We’re not passive passengers on a national ship that maybe is going somewhere we don’t want to go,” [Charlie] Hales said.
Wednesday’s vote will cost an estimated $900,000 a year, funding that Hales requested in his proposed 2015-16 budget. The final budget will be adopted in mid-June. The policy doesn’t apply to the estimated 2,000 parks workers who are classified as part time or seasonal. Commissioner Amanda Fritz, who oversees the Parks Bureau, said it’s not OK to ignore those workers.
The vote brings to fruition a promise Hales made in his State of the City address in January.
