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Council hears testimony on restoring city Fair Wage policy; ordinance referred for vote
Summary
Councilors reviewed a proposed ordinance to reinstate the city's Fair Wage policy for certain city service contracts after the code section was inadvertently removed during a prior code cleanup. SEIU Local 49 members testified in favor; the ordinance is a non‑emergency item and will appear on a future agenda for a final vote.
Portland City Council received testimony and a committee report on an ordinance to reinstate the city’s long‑standing Fair Wage policy (city code chapter 5.7), which was removed during a prior administrative code cleanup. The ordinance would restore a fair wage floor for certain city service contracts and formalize annual cost‑of‑living adjustments.
Why it matters: union representatives and affected workers said restoring the code is important to ensure continued wage and benefit standards for janitorial and security contractors in city buildings. SEIU Local 49 members described the policy’s practical effect on family economic stability and urged council to adopt the ordinance before budget decisions are finalized.
What happened at council: Labor and Workforce Development Committee staff summarized the item and reported a committee recommendation to pass. Two SEIU Local 49 members testified in Spanish via interpretation, sharing personal accounts of wage and benefit improvements tied to the prior fair wage policy. Councilors thanked the union for flagging the removal of the policy during a code cleanup and said the item will be scheduled for a future council vote (non‑emergency ordinance).
Next steps: as a non‑emergency ordinance, the item will be placed on a subsequent council agenda for a vote. Councilors asked staff to ensure the measure is in place prior to budget finalization so existing contract standards are preserved.
Sources: Labor and Workforce Development Committee summary; testimony from SEIU Local 49 members Maria Flores and Gloria Hernandez; staff report from committee chair and committee record.
