Vote Yes on One!

The Problem: Philadelphia has the highest rate of deep poverty among large US cities, with more than 1 in 4 people living below the poverty line. Yet many corporations in our city, like US Airways, are making record profits while continuing to pay their workers as little as possible. To cut costs, US Airways outsources passenger service jobs to low-bid contractors, leaving baggage handlers, cabin cleaners, wheelchair attendants, and sky caps who make Philadelphia International Airport run with wages as low as $7.25 an hour. Policies like this maintain racial inequality in our city, keeping workers of color locked out of the middle class.  

 

The Solution: City Council listened to our demands for economic justice at the Airport and supports extending the City of Philadelphia's Minimum Wage and Benefits Standard of $10.88/hr, with healthcare coverage and paid sick days, to all workers employed by companies that subcontract with the City.  But to go into effect, the change must be passed by voters through a referendum on the May ballot. If passed by voters, the higher standards will be enforced for our brothers and sisters at Philadelphia International Airport and many more employees of City subsidized projects. These standards are a stepping stone to long-term worker dignity at the Airport and in our city as a whole, sending a message that Philadelphians don't want public money funding poverty wages.