Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Labor Wages topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
AFSCME representative urges Woodburn council to approve fair wage increases for city workers
Summary
Max Rosenthal, speaking for AFSCME municipal employees, told the council some city workers are 11%–30% under comparable cities and asked the council to support a proposal the union says would cost about $83,000 (roughly 0.23% of this year's budget).
Max Rosenthal, an AFSCME union steward representing city of Woodburn employees, used his public-comment time to urge the council to support wage increases for union members, citing worker hardships and a wage study. Rosenthal said some AFSCME members are "11% to 30% under the average for comparable cities, step 1, and 11 percent to 20% under the average at step 8," and asked councilors to back the union’s proposal.
Rosenthal framed higher wages as both a worker-justice and local-economic issue, saying higher pay helps retain experienced staff and boosts local spending that supports small businesses. He told the council the union’s most recent proposal (dated Sept. 11) would cost an estimated $83,000, or about 0.23% of the current year’s budget, compared with the city’s commentary that it is in good financial shape.
