A coalition of labor unions, faith-based organizations, and progressive community organizations will formally kick off a campaign Thursday, June 23, to pass a new "living wage" ordinance in Minneapolis.

The ordinance proposal will mandate that corporations receiving public subsidies from the city must create jobs that will pay no less than 130 per cent of federal poverty guidelines for a family of four. That's a wage of $11.78 per hour, or $24,505 annually.

The campaign kickoff begins at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the Communications Workers of America Local 7200 union hall, 3521 East Lake St., Minneapolis.

"We're getting broad support for the principles," said Kyle Makarios, political director for the Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council (CLUC). The CLUC has sought endorsements for the living wage campaign from candidates for Mayor and City Council, as well as from incumbent Council members who are not running for re-election.

The Living Wage Yes! coalition says the city?s current living wage policy, passed in 1997, lacks enforcement and reporting mechanisms and contains too many loopholes.

For example, said Makarios, when Target received public funds for its downtown Minneapolis store, the current living wage policy was evaded by classifying the project as "community development" instead of "economic development."

"There's large, gaping holes" in the 1997 policy, he noted. "We need to have real concrete reporting and enforcement requirements."

"In these tough economic times, we want to make sure our tax dollars are not subsidizing poverty level wages," Makarios said.

"If we're putting our tax dollars in the hands of private corporations," he continued, "they ought to be paying a real living wage that can support a family."

Below the proposed standard of 130 percent of the federal poverty level, a family would qualify for food stamps.

For the past several weeks, canvassers from Minnesota ACORN and from Progressive Minnesota have been taking the Living Wage Yes! campaign door-to-door to Minneapolis residents, enlisting support.

They've already collected more than 1,000 postcards asking elected officials to support a living wage ordinance, reported Jamie Owens, a field manager for Progressive Minnesota.

"People at the door are really excited that people are doorknocking on labor issues," she said.

"A lot of people have stepped up and asked if they can volunteer to help out," she added. "It?s a common sense issue."

Council Member Paul Zerby, who is not running for re-election, has agreed to introduce a living wage ordinance at the City Council, Makarios said.

Along with speakers from the Living Wage Yes! coalition, Zerby and other elected officials who back the measure will address the campaign kick-off event Thursday. Afterwards, "we're going to pair up and go out and talk to voters, residents of the City of Minneapolis," Makarios said. "We'll have postcards addressed to Minneapolis City Council members and we'll be asking the people we meet doorknocking to sign the cards in support."

Makarios said the Living Wage Yes! coalition aims to make adopting a living wage ordinance a key issue in this year's Minneapolis election.

At the Minneapolis DFL convention last month, a resolution endorsing a living wage ordinance passed with 88 percent of the delegate vote.

The Living Wages Yes! coalition partners include the CLUC, Service Employees International Union Minnesota State Council, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 5, Minnesota Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), Progressive Minnesota, Minneapolis Federation of Teachers Local 59, ISAIAH, Teamsters DRIVE, UNITE HERE Local 17, and the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees.

For more information
Visit the CLUC website, www.minneapolisunions.org

To volunteer, contact Katie Walloch at Progressive Minnesota. Phone: 651-641-6199 or e-mail Katie@progressivemn.org