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Indybay Feature

Siegel Calls for Oakland City Council to Get on Board!

by Cat Brooks
The Siegel for Oakland campaign congratulates Seattle for passing a minimum wage ordinance and encourages Oakland City Council to do the same.
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Oakland’s Progressive Mayoral Candidate Dan Siegel Congratulates Seattle on Passing Minimum Wage Reform
It’s Time for Oakland to get on Board!

Last week, the city of Seattle passed a minimum wage resolution that will ensure working people are better positioned to provide for themselves and their families.

“Seattle demonstrated great leadership and commitment to social and economic equity with the passage of the minimum wage resolution,” said Dan Siegel. “It is time for Oakland to follow suit and show our citizens the same respect and understanding of what they need to not just survive – but to live – in our city.”

While some of the current mayoral candidates have paid lip service to the idea of supporting raising the minimum wage, Dan Siegel has been the only candidate actively working to make it a reality for Oakland residents. Partnering with Lift Up Oakland, the Siegel for Oakland campaign gathered some 1,500 signatures to place the minimum wage hike on the Oakland ballot. What’s more, Siegel has repeatedly stated that while $12.25 is a good start, if elected he will make it a top priority to raise the minimum wage to $15.00 an hour.

According the most recent statistics compiled by MIT Researchers, the current minimum wage in Oakland is just one-third of that needed by a wage earner who supports a child.

“It is unacceptable that many employed people in Oakland cannot support their children,” continued Siegel. “The Oakland City Council should demonstrate some leadership by passing a resolution to raise the minimum wage now. There is no logical reason to wait until November for a ballot vote. This would go a long way in demonstrating the Council’s commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Oaklanders – rather than a chosen few.”

The push for minimum wage increases are spreading across the country. 15 Now and the Fight for 15 Movement has brought national attention to the need for working class people to earn wages that allow them to purchase the basic necessities for themselves and their loved ones.

Across the Bay Area, the fight for minimum wage is progressing:

• In 2012, the people of the city of San Jose passed a minimum wage increase resolution that has reduced unemployment, grown business and stimulated the economy
• Richmond is set to pass a minimum wage increase to $13.00 an hour
• Berkeley appears likely to pass a minimum wage to $12.53 an hour soon
• And San Francisco is likely to pass a substantial minimum wage hike in the near future.

“A regional minimum wage hike is all but implemented – it is time for Oakland to get on board,” concluded Siegel.

Contact: Cat Brooks, media [at] siegelforoakland.org, 510.506.2341

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