Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Minimum Wage Referendum topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council discusses Soto Martínez motion on wage referendum; commenters urge higher pay and report harassment during signature gathering
Summary
Councilmembers discussed a motion associated with a Soto Martínez referendum on minimum wage increases. Public commenters, including union representatives, urged higher wages; several speakers described alleged harassment and theft during signature collection and asked the council to investigate and clarify the scope of a staff report.
Councilmembers discussed a motion referenced to Councilmember Soto Martínez concerning a referendum and proposed wage ordinance. The hearing included public commenters calling for larger minimum-wage increases and at least one person reporting alleged theft and harassment during petitioning efforts.
The nut graf: Supporters, including representatives from Local 36 and other labor groups, urged the council to back higher wages and to move forward without delay. At least one public commenter described an incident in which a petitioner’s phone and phone card were stolen during signature-collection activity and said people had been physically accosted; the commenter urged the council to investigate those incidents and to verify signatures submitted in support of the measure.
Public commenters repeatedly called for a higher hotel-worker wage than the $30-per-hour figure discussed at the hearing. One commenter said, “30 dólares es solamente el inicio. Necesitamos tratar de conseguir 40 dólares hasta 50 dólares,” arguing that $30 is insufficient to cover housing and basic insurance.
Council discussion focused on what scope the requested staff report should have. One councilmember asked whether the report should be limited to signature-gathering procedures for the referenced initiative or should cover all pending measures and claims of irregularities. The transcript records that additional instructions were added for the department to review testimony, but the excerpt does not include a completed, named motion or a roll-call vote on formal action during the excerpt provided.
Several unanswered process questions remain in the record excerpt: what specific investigations the city will open into claims of harassment and theft during petitioning; whether the staff report will assess all pending measures or only the signature-gathering for the Soto Martínez-related referendum; and whether the council will adopt any immediate protections for petition circulators.
The discussion illustrates a split between urgency—advocates pressing for rapid action on wage increases—and procedural caution, with councilmembers debating the proper scope of staff review and the need to validate signatures and investigate allegations about the collection process. The transcript does not show a formal final vote on the referendum motion within the provided excerpts.
