Unbelievable: Mayor Daley Calls for Federal Maximum Wage Law
By Nathan Newman
Oct 2, 2006
Having vetoed the proposed Chicago ordinance to raise minimum wages for large retailers in that city, Daley has now joined the rightwing business camp and
endorsed legislation to shut down higher local minimum wage laws across the country:
Daley defended his proposal for a national minimum wage that could not be increased locally, saying attempts to go above the minimum hamstring those localities that do so.
"That has to be increased (nationally) because if we increase ours and no one increases theirs in the suburban area, we're up here and you're down there." Daley has said that the difference can create an exodus of jobs from Chicago.
The mayor disagrees on the issue with Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who has already implemented a statewide minimum wage of $6.50 an hour for workers over 18 and $6 for those under 18. The federal minimum wage is $5.15 an hour.
Daley said he believes he won wide acceptance of the idea among Democrats Thursday, when he spoke with House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), and said he believes some Republicans are beginning to accept the idea.
Essentially, this is a version of what
the GOP tried to pass this summer when they wanted to preempt local minimum wage laws that require direct wages for tipped workers above the federal requirement.
~snip~
Jesse Jackson Jr responds and more at:
http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/coffeehouse/2006/oct/02/unbelievable_mayor_daley_calls_for_federal_maximum_wage_law