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Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm tries to outflank unions and political opponents on minimum wage

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm tries to outflank unions and political opponents on minimum wage:



Rahm tries to outflank unions and political opponents on minimum wage

Members of the Progressive Caucus, including Aldermen Bob Fioretti (2nd), Roderick Sawyer (6th) and Scott Waguespack (32nd), proposed raising Chicago's minimum wage to $15 an hour. | Al Podgorski~Sun-Times
The Little Emporer is caught between a rock and a hard place on the minimum wage. Unions and community groups want the MW raised to $15.  Rahm's corporate patrons want something far less are even threatening a pull-out if that passes. So with a wink to hedge-fund pals, like Ken Griffin (Citadel), who just dropped big money into his campaign war chest, and buddy Bruce Raunerwho wants to cut the MW down to $7.25, the mayor got his so-called Working Group,led by flunkie Ald. Will Burns, to come up with $13/hour (in four years) plan as a way to outflank likely opponents like Karen Lewis and Bob Fioretti and still keep his creds with loyal union leadersThe Working Group which includes the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, the Chicago Retail Merchants Association and the Illinois Restaurant Association, wants to put off a vote to raise the current $8.25 an hour minimum wage until after the Nov. 4 election.

The Workers Organizing Committee of Chicago, the union of fast food and retail workers, responded in a press release yesterday:
 Any recommendation that is less than $15 is an insult to the hundreds of fast food Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm tries to outflank unions and political opponents on minimum wage: