By Gregory Korte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
By Marie McCain
The Cincinnati Enquirer

City Hall Democrats will put forward a proposal for a "living-wage" ordinance today, requiring the city and its contractors to pay most employees at least $8.70 an hour - about 70 percent more than the minimum wage of $5.15.

The proposal is co-sponsored by Councilman John Cranley and Vice Mayor Alicia Reece. It is expected to get the support of all six council Democrats, and be opposed by the two council Republicans.

Mr. Cranley said most city employees already make at least that much, but it's important to set a fair wage for contractors as the city begins to look at ways to privatize some city services.

"As a moral statement, that's very important. I do not want the city to be contracting with companies who don't pay their workers a fair wage," he said. "This sets the bar."

The living wage would be set at $8.70 an hour for employees with health benefits, or $10.20 for employees without. That number is based on a federal poverty level of $18,100 for a family of four.

Seasonal and temporary employees, and interns, would be exempt.

The issue is almost certain to divide City Council - remarkably united on most major issues this year - along party lines.

Republican Councilman Chris Monzel's first reaction to the proposal was incredulity.

"You've got to be kidding me. Jeezel pete," he said Wednesday. "Of all the things the city is facing, why do we need another impediment to development and progress in the city? This is one more liberal program aimed more for the unions than the regular, average guy on the street that's paying his taxes and trying to get by."

Mayor Charlie Luken, a Democrat, was noncommittal on the issue in last year's campaign. He said city employees are already compensated fairly, but he would have to see a specific ordinance before deciding whether to extend the living wage to city contractors.

Sixty-two cities and counties nationally have some kind of living wage ordinance, with an average of $9.66 an hour, according to the independent Employment Policy Foundation. In Ohio, Cleveland, Dayton and Toledo have such ordinances.

The ordinance is one of many demands of the Coalition for a Just Cincinnati, which has urged an economic boycott of the city to protest what it calls "economic apartheid."