After months of research and public discussions, Santa Clara County Supervisors have officially passed the most comprehensive Living Wage ordinance in the nation. A week ago, Supervisors approved the progressive details of the newly proposed law, which include: requiring county contractors to pay employees a living wage, with health and retirement credits, paid sick leave, a voice on the job without fear of retaliation, and groundbreaking fair workweek provisions including full time work and flexible hours .
In the Valley of Plenty, despite the booming tech economy, one in three residents does not earn enough to get by. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, led by Supervisors Ken Yeager and Dave Cortese, have created an ordinance that will change the standard of living for thousands of people.
A report titled “Setting Job Standards for a New Economy: An Innovative Living Wage for Silicon Valley,” lays out elements for the most comprehensive local legislation covering county employees and entities that do business with the county. The report was written by public policy think tank Working Partnerships USA.
With the tech industry booming and the economy rapidly recovering, the average low-wage worker in Santa Clara County is falling further behind. Many who make minimum wage, or just above, struggle to make ends meet in Silicon Valley where the cost of living continues to soar. A living wage, by comparison, is a standard, not a floor, for what workers must earn to be self-sufficient.
The report addresses the underlying causes and presents a pathway to building a better local economy and strengthening communities throughout the Valley.
The Living Wage ordinance will go into effect in July 2015.
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