I took a break from poll-watching in VA yesterday morning, to head across the Potomac to watch my councilmembers vote to raise the minimum wage to $15 (gradually). Unless you live in Montgomery County, Maryland — and even then — you probably missed this news….and that is no accident…. The State’s most populous county (twice the population of the city of Baltimore) and second wealthiest (per capita, though the percentage of millionaires is among the highest in the nation) voted for the second time in the last four years to raise the minimum wage.
In 2013, the County was part of a joint effort with neighboring Prince George’s County to raise its wage above the state/federal minimum of $7.25. That bill moved the county gradually to $11.50, which took effect this past July. That effort put pressure on Maryland Democrats across the state, who vote the next year to raise the state minimum wage, albeit more slowly and less generously. The state minimum wage will top out at $10.10 next July.
This bill was introduced by legit progressive hero, Councilmember Marc Elrich, who is running for County Executive (he would be the first democratic socialist (sshhh!!) elected to such an office since Bernie Sanders ran Burlington, which has a population about 1/30 of our county).
One of the other contenders for the County Executive office is the current Council President, who voted against a similar bill this past winter, arguing for more study. The bill passed 5-4 (in a council of 9 Democratic members), short of the veto-proof majority needed to overcome the County Executive’s veto (the County Exec is also a Democrat).
After his veto, the County Exec ordered a study, which was delivered a couple of months in what became a real embarrassment for the bill’s opponents. The so-called study cost almost a million dollars, to ask a bunch of businessman who were opposed to a minimum wage hike what they claimed they would do if it became law. That scandal, if anything, provided more momentum to the minimum wage push.
So did comments from the Council President to follow the slightly less ambitious program set out in Minneapolis, getting to $15 in 2022 for companies with 100 employees or more, and 2024 for the rest. Housing costs in Montgomery County are significantly higher — and might cost low-wage workers $9,000 more each year. Those comments in fact just pointed up how inadequate $15/hr. will be in Montgomery County, but a 28% wage hike is better than nothing.
However, the bill came out of committee with a pair of hostile amendments that stretched out the time and requirement to reach $15/hr., for any business under 50 employees, to 2024, when all the current members would have faced their final election to term-limited seats.
And, the vote was scheduled for Election Day, so as to get as little notice as possible in the newspapers in the days following the vote.
At the start of today’s hearing, a further amendment was introduced which add in a third-tier, and created separate timelines for businesses with 10 or fewer employees, under 50, and over 50 employees. So, the smaller businesses get up to 3 more years, but the largest businesses will get to $15/hr. in 2021.
The timeline, adding in 2-3 years, supposedly spreads the pain out over time, lessening the impact on businesses. in fact, receipts have gone up each year as the minimum wage has been increasing since 2013, but sometimes compromises have to be made, even if it’s workers being asked to make them.
The final bill passed 9-0.
On Election Day. When no one was paying attention except for the activists that filled the hearing room. Oh, and this little guy, who learned to say:
¡Sí, se puede!
x xYouTube VideoHe’s hard to hear — and he had more trouble with “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido” — but, he’s cute beyond words. And, he will lead the revolution.
Here’s the moments when the bill passed:
x YouTube Video¡Sí, se puede!