Georgia prevents cities from raising wages
When a city in Georgia decides which company to hire for work, it can consider many things.
However, whether the company pays its workers a decent wage isn't one of them.
From David Sirota:
Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue signed a law barring "any city from seeking to require their contractors to pay higher minimum wages to employees than the $5.15 per hour federal standard."
Atlanta had been considering requiring a $10.15 "living wage" for government contractors, but that was apparently unacceptable to Big Business - so they bought this wretched piece of legislation, meaning Georgia taxpayers have to continue subsidizing companies that provide poverty-level wages.
It would be one thing for the state to try to help workers by setting a floor for workers' rights in city contracting.
It's another thing for the state to set a ceiling on workers' rights, which is the purpose of this legislation.
The law says, "no local government entity may through its purchasing or contracting procedures seek to control or affect the wages or employment benefits provided by its vendors."
Gee, wouldn't want a city to try to improve wages and benefits.
Better that cities just seek the lowest bid, and depress wages and benefits.
This awful bill was passed by a Democratic House and Republican Senate, and signed by a Republican governor.
Bipartisan greed-gone-wild.
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Atlanta had been considering requiring a $10.15 "living wage" for government contractors, but that was apparently unacceptable to Big Business - so they bought this wretched piece of legislation, meaning Georgia taxpayers have to continue subsidizing companies that provide poverty-level wages. It would be one thing for the state to try to help workers by setting a floor for workers' rights in city contracting.
It's another thing for the state to set a ceiling on workers' rights, which is the purpose of this legislation.
The law says, "no local government entity may through its purchasing or contracting procedures seek to control or affect the wages or employment benefits provided by its vendors."
Gee, wouldn't want a city to try to improve wages and benefits.
Better that cities just seek the lowest bid, and depress wages and benefits.
This awful bill was passed by a Democratic House and Republican Senate, and signed by a Republican governor.
Bipartisan greed-gone-wild.
