Summary
City Councilor Theresa Kail-Smith says a Irving-wage bill might be "overstepping our bounds." Though she supported a prevailing wage, she worries about imposing new costs: "If we aren't developing, these people aren't going to have jobs."
Privately, some of [Ricky Burgess]' colleagues say they suspect the issue is a "red herring," or a legislative effort to "punch Bill Peduto in the nose." Peduto campaigned stridently for prevailing wage in recent months, but years ago he also voted to mothball the living-wage bill by making it contingent on the county's measure.John Welch, president of the Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network, stresses, "Conceptually, I'm for a wage that is fair." But the cost worries him and others: Thanks to soaring health-care costs especially, "The dollars then don't compare to now."See the full content of this document
Extract
Back Wages
WHEN PITTSBURGH City Councilor Ricky Burgess brought up the city's long-dormant living-wage legislation last month, you might have expected Barney Oursler to be overjoyed. After ail, the veteran activist says, "I worked full time on the living wage for four years."
Oursler s efforts were for naught. In 2001, the city did pass a bill to require employers getting tax dollars to pay workers much more than the minimum wage. But the bill was made co...See the full content of this document
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