Petitions for LRAA (living wage) act delivered to Mayor after press conference
On the 3rd of September, DC Councilmember Vincent Orange held a press conference in front of the Wilson Building along with supporters of the Large Retailer Accountability Act (LRAA).
They were demanding that Mayor Gray sign the LRAA instead of bowing to Wal-Mart’s brazen threats to leave the city if the bill is signed into law. Speakers pointed out that in 1963 during the Jobs and Freedom March, Dr Martin Luther King demanded a minimum wage of $2 an hour. In 2013 dollars, that is over $15 an hour, yet the LRAA only mandates $12.50 an hour inclusive of benefits.
Several speakers also pointed out that longtime District residents, who held out through the Crack Wars and the lean years to stay in the city, requires more than $8 and change an hour now that all those condos are going up.
At the conclusion of the press conference, a box containing 36,917 (according to speakers) signed petitions asking the Mayor to sign the LRAA were taken inside and delivered to his office.
Town Hall meeting in Anacostia demands that Mayor Gray sign Living Wage bill
On the evening of the 27th of August, community members and activists packed into the Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church to demand that Mayor Gray sign the Large Retailer Accountability Act.
DC Councilmembers Phil Mendelson and Vincent Orange both spoke to support the LRAA. Both Mendelson and Reverend Curry (senior pastor at the Church) held up pens and demanded that the Mayor sign the bill.
Phil Mendelson bluntly condemned the Mayor’s hypocrisy in appearing at the Martin Luther King and Statehood events on Saturday, yet leaning towards vetoing the LRAA.
Other speakers debunked the lies Wal-Mart has been spreading with facts about how states and cities that raised their minimum wages over the past 20 years have not had higher unemployment than those that did not.
One of the speakers pointed out that the $2 minimum wage demanded by organizers of the original 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom would be worth $15 an hour today, and the LRAA is only asking for $12.50 an hour.
Near the end, Reverend Hagler condemned Mayor Gray for taking “30 pieces of silver” from Wal-Mart. Those 30 pieces of silver will drag Mr Gray out of office and right into the gutter, ending his career if he vetoes a living wage for workers at Wal-Mart, Target, and Home Depot!
On the 7th of August, Mayor Gray and city officials joined with the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington Commemorative Committee for a press conference to announce the upcoming events of August 24. The main event is at the Lincoln Memorial in the morning.
One of the organizers gave a speech condemning voter ID laws, other voter suppression and the Zimmerman verdict as examples that the problems King marched against 50 years ago are still alive and well in the US.
One of the organizers gave a speech condemning voter ID laws, other voter suppression, and the Zimmerman verdict as examples that the problems King marched against 50 years ago are still alive and well in the US.
Present in the audience were several members of groups opposing Wal-Mart, who hope that Mayor Gray will not buckle under to Wal-Mart and will sign the Large Retailer Accountability Act or LRAA. They were present so the Mayor could see them, but took no action due to the nature of the event.
The LRAA would force Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot,etc to pay $12.50 an hour in wages and benefits. Wal-Mart is demanding a veto, saying they will pull out of DC otherwise. Given that one of the demands of the original 1963 March on Washington was to raise the minimum wage, it would be highly inappropriate for the Mayor to veto the LRAA after his planned appearance in this 50th anniversary commemoration rally.
Hopefully the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s March on Washington, and the historical reality of his campaign for living wage jobs will be all the reminder the Mayor needs to sign the LRAA when the council sends it to his desk.
Major events planned for 50th anniversary of MLK March on Washington:
50th Anniversary March on Washington
Saturday August 24.
The rally will be held at the Lincoln Memorial from 8 am.-4 p.m. and the festival will be held on the National Mall from 2-6 p.m.
DC Statehood Rally
August 24, 2013
9 a.m. DC War Memorial, Independence Avenue, NW. Washington DC.
March for Jobs and Justice
August 28, 2013. The march will begin at 9:30 a.m. Participants will assemble at 600 New Jersey Avenue, Washington DC at 8 a.m. and proceed to the United States Department of Labor at 200 Constitution Avenue, then to the United States Department of Justice at 950 Pennsylvania Avenue and ending at a rally on the National Mall.
Last week, the District’s most vulnerable residents organized to win two major victories in the City Council: the Large Retailer Accountability Act (LRAA), which would require big box stores to pay their employees a living wage, and which effectively prevented the expansion of six Walmart stores within the District; and the Driver Safety Amendment Act (DSAA), which grants the City’s 25,000 undocumented residents the ability to obtain a driver’s license without a mark indicating their undocumented status.
In the first hour of debate over the LRAA it was revealed that Walmart’s CEO Michael Duke made nearly $17,000,000 – a figure well over what his workers earn in a year. Despite this, Councilmembers bickered over whether the bill was a boon or a bust to DC’s low-income residents. The division was due, in large part, to Walmart’s recent threats to pull out of DC if the measure were to pass. At-Large Councilmember Vincent Orange argued that “DC has made it” and doesn’t need to cater to large retailers by accepting low wages. Councilmembers Alexander (Ward 7) and Bowser (Ward 4) decried the lost jobs and retail opportunities for the residents in their wards.
Meanwhile, taxpayers are the ones ultimately funding the financial incentives to lure these retailers into the District. Just this time last year, the city approved a tax incentive to the tune of $32.5 million dollars to headquarter LivingSocial in DC. Despite being located in one of the most rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods in the District, the DC-USA shopping center in Columbia Heights received $40 million for its development (See the Fiscal Policy Institute Article It’s Time To Stop Shopping For Supermarket Tax Breaks.) What’s worse, these taxpayer-funded incentives for large development projects or corporations often come with no strings attached–no requirement to pay living wages, provide job training, or engage meaningfully with the community and their concerns.
After heated debate, the bill ultimately passed 8-5 but still awaits the Mayor’s approval. If he signs it, large retailers must pay their employees a minimum of $12.50/hour, calculated to be a living wage in the District. This would be an increase from the current minimum of $8.50/hour.
Big box stores are not going to be the drivers of economic revitalization. In fact, Think Progress reported: “Walmart’s refusal to pay their employees a livable wage translates into a bigger burden for taxpayers. A Congressional report found that, “the workforce of a single Walmart store [can] consume roughly a million dollars in public benefits every year, relying on “safety net” programs like Medicaid, food stamps, school lunch, and housing assistance to survive.” On the other hand, mutually supportive networks of small businesses and households are known to create a more robust local economy. Low- and moderate-income people, together with small business owners, can help sustain each other, rather than expecting an ethically abysmal multinational corporation to bring in decent jobs or training.
Another important victory impacting the residents of DC is the Driver’s Safety Amendment Act (DSAA), which was passed unanimously in last week’s vote. In issuing licenses to undocumented residents, the Council (and advocates) hope to create safer driving conditions for everyone on the road by ensuring that undocumented drivers have the opportunity to pass road safety tests and acquire insurance for their vehicles. More importantly, the success of the “One City, One License” campaign marked a step forward in civil rights and equality.
Report on DSAA by Ben King for Fress Speech Radio News
[audio:http://www.grassrootsdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Ben_King_FSRN_Report-DSAA.mp3]
Advocates also say it will improve the economic prospects of many of the city’s low-income residents who couldn’t obtain licenses before. While it was being debated at the committee level, supporters of the bill packed the hearing room to share stories about the consequences of not having a valid drivers license. Many testified that without the opportunity to get a driver’s license and vehicle, they have difficulty commuting to jobs in places where public transportation is sparse or unreliable. Others said they became accustomed to paying unofficial taxi drivers to get around, many of whom would overcharge for rides knowing their passengers had little recourse. Elderly men and women described the physical toll of walking to and waiting at bus stops, especially during inclement weather.
Jose Alvarado Describes the Economic Benefit of DSAA
[audio:http://www.grassrootsdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Jose-Alvarado-Describes-Economic-Benefit-of-DSAA.mp3]
Aside from the benefits to public safety and economic security this measure provides, perhaps the bigger success of DSAA’s passage is that it does not identify the cardholder as undocumented. The Mayor’s original proposal would have created a two-tiered system marking the license carried by an undocumented resident as “not for use for federal purposes.” During yesterday’s meeting, however, Councilmember Jim Graham (Ward 1) and others fought against this “separate but equal” approach, cautioning that it would be like “Berlin 1938” all over again if the licenses were marked. Advocates agreed that the two-tiered system would effectively create a second-class citizenship in the District, leading to racial profiling and discrimination. By passing their version of the bill, which removes the social security number requirement for obtaining a license, the DC City Council aligned itself with the “One City, One License” campaign — the rallying cry of advocates and residents opposing the Mayor’s proposal.
What brings these bills together?
For one, they are a step toward sensible, humane policy for the low-income residents of DC. Historically their needs are the first to get axed when budgets are tight. Despite the best efforts of community organizing groups like Save Our Safety Net and countless others DC’s safety net budget was pillaged from 2009-2012. Only now that DC has a budget surplus is the Mayor more willing to spend money on crucial safety net programs like TANF, IDA, or the Housing Production Trust Fund, but that wasn’t and will not always be the case.
Second, and most importantly, these were huge victories for community organizing through coalition-based approaches. In both cases, unions, faith-based groups, families, students, community organizations, and impacted residents themselves came together to pack the hearing room, make their voices heard, and stand up for what’s right. The LRAA couldn’t have passed without the organizing efforts of groups like Respect DC, Jobs with Justice, or the many unions representing; just as the DSAA victory couldn’t have happened without the energy of the DC Immigrant Rights Coalition, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, or the “#One City, #One License” campaign.
While these measures alone cannot eradicate poverty or address its root causes, they are tangible steps toward poverty alleviation, inclusion, and respect for human rights and dignity; in other words, progress. These victories show that change is possible at the grassroots level when we work together and see the interconnectedness of our struggles across racial, economic, and geographic lines.
CALL TO ACTION: The fight isn’t over! Mayor Vincent Gray has already said that he will veto both bills come fall. Contact the Mayor and urge him to sign the Large Retailer Accountability Act and Driver’s Safety Amendment Act – two bills that would help the city’s most vulnerable residents and set an example for the nation. Remind him that election season is right around the corner. Remember, our voices can make a difference!
Call the Mayor’s Office directly at (202) 442-8150 or email him at eom@dc.gov!
Sample message:Hello Mayor Gray, my name is (____) and I’m a ward (__) resident (calling/emailing/writing) to express my support for the Large Retailer Accountability Act and the DC Driver’s Safety Amendment Act. These two bills, which were both approved by our City Council officials, will greatly help DC’s low-income and immigrant communities by ensuring workers are paid a livable wage and that they can drive safely on our roads. These issues impact all of us and I hope you will sign the LRAA and DSAA into law next Fall. Thank you for your time and consideration.
The Large Retailer Accountability Act Clearly Supported By DC’s Progressive Community
On the 10th of July labor and neighborhood activists held a rally outside the Wilson Building to support passage of the Large Retailer Accountability Act. It would raise the minimum wage in certain big box stores to $12.50 an hour. Wal-Mart has vowed to abandon at least half their plans to open stores in DC if this passes. Rev Hagler told them not once but twice to “Go to Hell” during his speech!
I think this is the first time I’ve ever heard any pastor tell anyone to go to Hell, but if anyone deserves it, Wal-Mart does, especially in light of their resort to extortion when bribery failed.
Workers from several big box stores complained about being unable to afford to shop where they work due to law wages. One man who works at a Wal-Mart said he could not even afford to have his own place due to the wages Wal-Mart pays.
After the rally, activists went into the Wilson Building to confront several anti-LRAA councilmembers, then observe the vote. I could not go with them, as the Wilson Building is an ID and bag search building.
Wal-Mart has also crudely threatened the DC Council. On the 9th of July, less than 24 hours before the final vote on the LRAA, Wal-Mart lobbyists bluntly said they could cancel their Skyland and two other unbuilt stores if the bill is signed into law. They also said they might abandon (“reconsider”) the three stores under construction. Well, this extortion won’t exactly break DC”s legs, as a lot of people would rather have an abandoned Wal-Mart than an open one in their neighborhood!
This Just In!
from Grassroots DC’s Coordinator
DC’s City Council voted for the Large Retail Accountability Act. The vote was not unanimous. Councilmembers Yvette Alexander (Ward 7), Muriel Bowser (Ward 4), David Catania (At-Large), Mary Cheh (Ward 3) and Tommy Wells (Ward 6) all voted against the bill. We must still wait to see if Mayor Gray signs on or vetoes the bill, but it looks like years of pressure from community groups, labor and individual activists is turning the tide against a Walmart invasion of the District of Columbia. Is this what democracy looks like? I think maybe so.
It’s been a minute since we’ve done a post on Walmart, but that’s not to say that DC’s progressive community has stopped working on the issue. Currently, the group No-Ward-4-Walmart is calling for an anti-Walmart presence at the Historic Preservation Review Board Hearing (October 27th at 2:10pm, 441 4th St. NW, Room 220 South) where they will consider designating the old streetcar storage barn at Georgia and Missouri Avenues NW a historic landmark which would make it impossible for developer Foulger Pratt to build a Walmart on that site.
Respect DC takes the position that it’s okay if Walmart comes to DC so long as they sign a community benefits agreement that would guarantee that any Walmart within the District provide its workers with a living wage. Not much word on the community benefits agreement, but on October 20, 2011, Respect DC teamed up with Occupy DC and staged a flashmob at a $1,000-a-plate fundraiser at Union Station. The fundraiser featured Walmart board chairman Rob Walton as well as Wes Bush, CEO and president of arms manufacturer Northrop Grumman.
As its name suggests, the group Walmart Free DC believes that DC doesn’t need any Walmarts: they not only fail to provide a living wage to their employees, but they also have a tendency to drive small businesses into the ground. Empower DC also opposes Walmart coming to the District. This summer, Grassroots Media Project intern Roshan Ghimire and hip-hop artist/community activist Head-Roc teamed up to produce the following video Keep DC Walmart Free, which makes our position pretty clear.
In addition to hosting a series of screenings of The High Cost of Low Price throughout the city over the summer, Walmart Free DC has posted several links that make a strong case for their position. LGBT activist Robby Diesu’s post sums up much of that information and makes a few points that are missed on most of the other anti-Walmart websites.
Why the GLBTQ Community in DC Needs to Reject the Wal-Mart Invasion of Our City
By Robert Diesu
In November 2010 Wal-Mart decided that DC would be its next target in their attempt to amp up their already impressive market share of the retail world. They have met a lot of resistances so far, but not enough. Wal-mart has a special place in the minds of us who are progressive, leftist, and even liberal, and that is the vast majority of us can think of only one word to describe them; evil.
In the District, Wal-Mart plans on bringing in four stores by 2012. Wards 4, 5, 6, and 7 will hopefully not be the home to these planned stores. Each of the four stores in the invasion are going to be 80,000-100,000 sq feet. Doesn’t that just make you feel all warm and fuzzy? But they have not signed leases at any of the four locations, though.
Yet, we as queer people have some extra special reason’s to oppose the evilness that is Wal-Mart, and mainly they don’t support our liberation as a community. To this date, they do not have an anti-discrimination policy that protects trans people and other non-gender conforming peoples. This prompted the National Gay and Lesbian Task force to come out against them invading New York and hopefully soon, DC as well. [1]
They donate to crazy right-wingers, who are actively working against our interest in congress, and by donate I mean hundreds of thousands of dollars, not five grand like Target. Members of the Wal-Mart board of director and the Wal-Mart PAC have given $455,500 to current members of the “Tea Party Caucus” in Congress (this also includes Tea Party backed candidates who lost)[2]. Not to mention $1,431,000 to candidates who have actually voted against voting rights for DC.[3]
Oh, and they think we are a “highly controversial issue”[4], as a reason why they don’t donate to any National LGBT groups. Since when is treating other human beings with respect and dignity a controversial issue? The last time I checked, our liberation and the emancipation of our community from oppression was a good thing, not something controversial? What should be highly controversial is that a city government that is as progressive as DC would even think of allowing Wal-Mart in our city-limits.
Now there is this fad among our community to boycott companies who are against our liberation and it always seem inept to me. (I mean Target is right next to my gym, and is constantly calling my name.) Yet, here is a chance for us to actually stop a corporation that opposes our liberation from even getting a foot in our city. Wal-Mart Free DC is a group that is working actively to oppose all and any Wal-Marts in our city. They are working to build a multi-racial, multi –generational, multi-class, and multi-gender citywide coalition who opposes Wal-Mart from even building a single store in the District. Check them out if you want to stop this invasion of our city!
