Left to right: Kathy D'Angelo, Producer, Madeline Janis-Aparicio, Nora Hochman, Sandy Brown and Paul Brindel

Baltimore became the first US city to adopt a living-wage ordinance in 1994, and minimum wage opponents attacked it saying that people would lose their jobs as businesses paid higher wages.
Now more than 60 counties and cities have since passed Living wage laws, the latest being New Orleans in February, and Santa Fe in March 2002. with a couple of dozen more municipalities considering such laws. 

Recent reports indicate that Living Wage Ordinances do more good than harm.

Living Wage laws say that businesses under contract with the city - or in some cases businesses that receive subsidies, or tax breaks, from the city must pay employees a wage sufficient to lift their families out of poverty.  Here in California, wages under such laws range from a $7.25 in Pasadena to $11 in Santa Cruz.

This program features:

Title:  Madeline Janis-Aparicio, Executive Director, L.A. Alliance for a New Economy

Madeline Janis-Aparicio is co-founder and Executive Director of the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy. Ms. Janis-Aparicio led the historic campaign to pass L.A.’s living wage ordinance, which has since become a national model. Over the past three years, she has provided training and assistance to living wage coalitions in more than 20 cities across the country.  She served as the Executive Director of the Central American Refugee Center, working to legalize the activities of immigrant sidewalk vendors, combat civil rights abuses of immigrants, and help immigrants achieve legal immigrant status.  Prior to this, Ms. Janis-Aparicio, an attorney, represented tenants and homeless people in slum housing litigation, and advocated for homeless disabled people who had been denied government benefits.

Website: www.laane.org Phone: (213) 486-9880

Title: Nora Hochman, Organizer, Service Employees International Union, Local 817

Nora Hochman grew up in an activist family committed to economic, racial and social justice.  During over 30 years of activism, Ms. Hochman has developed her own style and approach to community service and organizing, driven by the belief that justice requires systemic change in the community and in the public policy arena.  For the past ten years she has worked as a field representative and organizer in the trade union movement and currently works for the Service Employees International Union, Local 817.  As Co-Chair of the Santa Cruz County Coalition for a Living Wage, Nora has been instrumental in the passage of living wage ordinances in the City and County of Santa Cruz.

Website: www.seiu817.org Phone: (831) 757-2061

Title: Sandy Brown, Coordinator, Santa Cruz County Coalition for a Living Wage

Sandy Brown has worked at the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County since graduating from UCSC in 1995.  She has been active in community organizing and public policy advocacy campaigns, including welfare rights organizing and affordable housing advocacy at the local and state levels.  In 1997, she worked with community and labor activists to found the Santa Cruz County Coalition for a Living Wage and has served as the Staff Coordinator for this labor-community alliance since its inception. 

Website: www.cabinc.org  Phone: (831) 457-1741 x130

For more information on "Living Wage" go to:

HISTORY OF FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE RATES
UNDER THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT, 1938 - 1996

How Living Wage Laws Affect Low-Wage Workers and Low-Income Families from the The Public Policy Institute of California:.

Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy

Minimum Wage History

Wealth and Poverty Data from Oregon State University

Santa Cruz County Campaign For a Living Wage

Other Living Wage Links

The host and CAB Inc. producer of the series, Paul Rachuy Brindel,  

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