Livable Wage Victories
VLWC Accomplishments to Date:
The Vermont Livable Wage Campaign has achieved a great deal. Eight years ago when we began our work, the term 'livable wage' was basically unknown in Vermont. Today it is well known and there is much public support for livable wages. In different communities, projects have ranged from urging schools to pay livable wages to all school workers, solidarity support for union members fighting for livable wages, and using livable wage figures as income qualifying guidelines with non-profit services. Dozens of private and public Vermont employers have increased workers wages, several committing to the Joint Fiscal Office livable wage numbers.
VLWC has educated thousands of workers, community members, service providers, nonprofit workers, and students using our popular education curriculum since 1996. The Vermont minimum wage has increased four times in the last five years thanks to the VLWC's legislative work, leading to raises for tens of thousands of Vermonters. To date, the VLWC network of individual activists and organizations (unions, non-profits, faith communities, etc) in coalition with VLWC includes over 20,000 Vermonters.
General Media Coverage
Over the last eight years, we have received unprecedented media coverage on the issue of livable wages including 8 Vermont Public Radio "Switchboard" programs, over 60 editorials and major news articles in local and statewide papers, as well as other radio and TV interviews. Most recently, VLWC's work and history was included as a case study in Partnering for Change: Unions and Community Groups Build Coalitions for Economic Justice, Ed. David B. Reynolds, published in early 2004.
2004
On January 1, 2004, the Vermont minimum wage increased from $6.25 to $6.75 due to VLWC and our allies' hard work to push an increase during the 2003 Vermont legislative session. Over ten thousand Vermonters started the new year with a $0.50 raise.
In September, the Vermont Department of Labor & Industry finalized the Minimum Wage Rules which dictate what deductions may be made from a worker’s paycheck in Vermont. The new rules can be read on their website and they went into effect on September 1st. You can read the rules at http://www.state.vt.us/labind/Wagehour/rule-final.htm. In January 2004, the Vermont Department of Labor and Industry proposed changes to the rules which govern the Vermont minimum wage. These rules define what deductions an employer can make from an employee's paycheck for uniforms and employer-provided housing. The Vermont Livable Wage Campaign believed these changes were a direct contradiction to the increase of the Vermont minimum wage rate from $6.25 an hour to $6.75 an hour on January 1, 2004 and called for the Department not make these changes to the rules.
The uniform and housing rules have remained the same thanks to over 300 Vermonters contacting Labor & Industry to oppose these changes. The final rules contain clear and more concise language. The uniform language is clearer than the previous rules--absolutely NO deductions may be made for maintenance or providing a uniform. For room and board, employees are still required to provide written authorization for goods or services deductions (i.e. housing or board), otherwise the employer needs to have proof of the employee's intention to pay for these goods/services. Also, caps on the amount allowed to be deducted from employee paychecks for room and board remain in place. All in all, this is a victory for our Campaign! Thank you to all of you for your support on this fight!
In February, the Southwestern Vermont Supervisory Union-ESP workers (school support staff, over 95% women) settled a contract a one-year contract with a 4.25 raise after a 18 month active livable wage contract campaign. The contract falls short for the 17% raise they were seeking but they preserved their health benefits without an increase in the employees’ co-pay. Their new contract will expire in July 2004 so the school support staff are already gearing up for another round of negotiations and will focus solely on securing the livable wage figure into their contracts in the next contract. VLWC worked closely with these support staff workers by educating union leaders on livable wages, holding educational meetings in the community, mobilizing support at school board meetings and in the local paper. We look forward to working with them this summer.
In March, the City of Burlington strengthened the City's Livable Wage Ordinance to require all contractors to provide written oaths that they pay all employees the livable wage stated in the ordinance (currently set at the urban livable wage figure for a single person with no children as calculated by the Vermont Joint Fiscal Office). VLWC urged the city not to change the livable wage number cited in the ordinance to become an average of the last two years as originally proposed in the beginning of the year. For 2004, $11.92/hour (urban figure, for a single person with no children) is the base wage for all city municipal workers as of January 2004 (excludes Burlington school workers).
This spring VLWC began work on a new education project to develop a high school curriculum on economics and livable wages. Several Vermont high school teachers will help VLWC draft and implement the new curriculum this fall in four or five pilot schools. VLWC will base some of the curriculum on educational resources developed by United for a Fair Economy as well as incorporate unique livable wage popular education activities from our existing workshop materials.
2004 also marks a renewed effort to increase our coalition of faith communities, non profit organizations, unions, and individual activists on the VLWC steering committee and endorser organizations. So far this year we have welcomed the Southwestern Vermont Supervisory Union-ESP workers (support staff workers), VT-National Education Association and the Unitarian Social Action Ministry of Burlington as new organizational members to VLWC's steering committee and several individual activists from around the state. Please contact Emma Mulvaney-Stanak at 802-863-2345 x8 for more information on endorsing the campaign or joining the VLWC steering committee.
2003
VLWC successfully lobbied the Vermont Legislature to increase the Vermont minimum wage from $6.25 an hour to $6.75 in January 2004 and then to $7.00 in January 2005. This increase in the base wage for Vermont workers will place Vermont in the top five states in the United States for highest minimum wage rates in 2005. Although VLWC tried to include a cost of living adjustment (COLA) to the bill, the ending compromise was a $0.75 increase over two years. This increase will give a raise to over ten thousand Vermonters. VLWC mobilized dozens of Vermonters to provide testimony during legislative hearings on the minimum wage and organized a "Flip-Flop" action on the Statehouse lawn when Governor Douglas flip-flopped on his support for a COLA increase. In April, VLWC organized a livable wage rally in Burlington drawing over 250 union members, students, faith leaders, and community members to gather support for the minimum wage bill and to rally support for current livable wage campaigns.
VLWC was one of several co-sponsors of the People's Roundtable for a Fair and Healthy Economy in March which brought together over 200 Vermonters to discuss the need for fair taxes, livable wages, quality public services, and a healthy economy. The findings were released in August, and in November and December several organizations and unions sponsored four regional People's Roundtable public meetings in Brattleboro, Bennington, Rutland, and Springfield. Over 150 Vermonters spoke out on economic issues ranging from sustainable business, livable wage to economic development which benefits working Vermonters.
In December, The Peace and Justice Center released Phase 8: Nickel and Dimed, Poverty and Livable Wage Jobs of the Job Gap Study. For the first time in the Job Gap Study history, the study included expanded data and analysis based on race and gender. VLWC now has detailed information on how many women and people of color do not make a livable wage, live in poverty, and work in certain occupations proportionately compared to white, male counterparts.
By the end of 2003, our coalition grew to include, Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger, Vermont Ecumenical Council, and the Washington-Orange Labor Council as new organizational members to VLWC's steering committee.
2002
In June, Phase 7: Basic Needs, Livable Wage Jobs and the Cost of Under-Employment of the Job Gap Study was released by the Peace and Justice Center.
2001
Throughout state government, agencies incorporated livable wage language and goals, based on the Job Gap Study research, into their work plans and for negotiating contracts. For example, 6,000 state employees won a new contract with a special provision that establishes $8.10/hr (Vermont's single person livable wage rate at the time) as a minimum wage for all permanent full- and part-time workers.
The Vermont Department of Housing and Community Affairs, which distributes $11 million annually in federal CDBG funds for economic and housing development, has adopted the livable wage as one of its criteria in the application and review process.
2000
VLWC led a successful and elaborate legislative agenda in 2004. VLWC led efforts to pass Act 119 (2000) which raised the minimum wage in Vermont from $5.75 to $6.25 per hour; put an additional $3.5 million into the Vermont Earned Income Tax Credit program; required the Vermont Joint Fiscal Office to calculate basic needs budgets/livable wages for families over the next four years; required additional reporting on wages and hours by employers, and more! Up to 35,000 Vermonters received up to $1,250 in additional income in the year 2001!
Burlington expanded its Livable Wage Ordinance to include all contractors with the city.
At its June 2000 annual meeting, the Vermont Conference of the United Church of Christ passed a resolution supporting the creation of livable wage jobs and the efforts of the Vermont Livable Wage Campaign. In addition, the Unitarian Universalist Society in Burlington passed a resolution to pay their employees a livable wage and to purchase supplies and services from livable wage employers whenever possible.
In July, Phase 6 : The Leaky Bucket: An Analysis of Vermont's Dependence on Imports of the Job Gap Study was released.
1999
Through a combination of education (the Vermont Job Gap Study) and advocacy (mobilization), VLWC led efforts to pass Act 21 (1999) which raised the state's minimum wage from $5.25 to $5.75 per hour. Over 15,000 working Vermonters received a raise! Furthermore, the Legislature appropriated $60,000 to a Summer Legislative Study Committee to extend the work of the Job Gap Study and develop policy recommendations for how to create a livable income for all Vermonters over time (See 1999 Livable Income under "Livable Income" to read about the findings of this committee).
In July, the Peace and Justice Center released Phase 5: Basic Needs and a Livable Wage 1998 Update of the Job Gap Study.
1998
In February, Phase 3: The Social Cost of Underemployment of the Job Gap Study was released.
In 1998, local livable wage coalitions around the state worked with elected officials in Burlington, Montpelier and Barre City to adopt livable wage ordinances for city employees ($7.50/hr in Burlington, $7.91/hr. in Montpelier and Barre). Approximately 800 municipal employees were covered by these ordinances.
Many businesses began calling VLWC to say that they decided to pay livable wages to their employees. VLWC worked with Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility to release a Livable Jobs Toolkit for small business owners which provides the outline and tools for employers to better support their employees.
In October, Phase 4: Policy Recommendations of the Vermont Job Gap Study was released and discussed policy changes proposed by VLWC to support livable wages and better economic development.
1997
Based on the methodology of the Minnesota Job Gap Study, the first Job Gap Study Phase 1: Basic Needs and a Livable Wage was released in January. Phase 2: Livable Wage Jobs: The Job Gap was released in May.
Town Resolutions
Residents of 21 towns passed resolutions at their annual town meetings calling on the state legislature to do more to create livable wage jobs (Bethel, Braintree, Brattleboro, Brookfield, Burlington, Castleton, East Montpelier, Hinesburg, Huntington, Marshfield, Plainfield, Putney, Randolph, Richmond, Rochester, Starksboro, Waitsfield, Weathersfield, Weybridge, Winooski, and Woodbury).
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Vermont Livable Wage Campaign
21 Church Street, Burlington, VT 05401
802.863.2345 x8 livablewage@pjcvt.org
© 2007 Vermont Livable Wage Campaign
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