After a groundswell of public support, including thousands of postcards from concerned citizens, a living wage ordinance will be introduced in the Minneapolis City Council Friday, Oct. 7, supporters announced.

The subject matter will be introduced and then referred to committee for a public hearing in the next two to three weeks, the Minneapolis Living Wages Yes! Coalition said. The coalition of faith, community, and labor groups seeks to create a strong community standard to encourage responsible spending of city resources. Council Member Paul Zerby (Ward 2) is the lead author of the ordinance.

The living wage law would cover large businesses who receive significant city resources in the form of contracts or subsidies. The law will establish a standard requiring those businesses to pay their workers enough to feed their families without requiring food stamps. The current trigger for food stamp eligibility is 130 percent of the federal poverty level or $12.09/hour.

"This law will support responsible spending of public resources by ensuring that the city invests in companies who pay their workers above poverty wages," the coalition said. A concurrent campaign in Saint Paul will establish a Twin Cities wide standard.

Throughout the summer, the Living Wages Yes! Coalition has been mobilizing community support for a strong living wage law. Going door to door, the Coalition collected 7,000 postcards supporting a strong living wage law to send to City Council members.

Town hall forums hosted by ISAIAH were attended by hundreds of Minneapolitans and the majority of City Council members. A kick-off rally on one of the hottest days of June turned out 100 city residents to knock on doors and hear strong support for the measure by Rabbi Simeon Glaser from Temple Israel, Bishop Craig Johnson of the Minneapolis Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and City Council Member Paul Zerby (Ward 2).

The Minneapolis Living Wages Yes! Coalition includes the Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council, ISAIAH, Minnesota Acorn, Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis Office of Social Justice, Jewish Community Action, Progressive Minnesota, SEIU MN State Council, AFSCME Council 5, MFT Local 59, Teamsters DRIVE, UNITE HERE Local 17, Twin Cities Coalition of Labor Union Women, Confederation of Somali Communities of Minnesota, Twin Cities Religion & Labor Network, JOBS NOW Coalition, Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, Minneapolis Democratic Farmer-Labor Party, Green Party of Minnesota - 5th Congressional District, MPIRG, and the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability.