These three city council members created a loophole in the local minimum wage that would allow restaurant chains with up to 20 locations to pay a lower minimum wage than other employers.

If Amazon opened a restaurant in Emeryville, it would pay be able to pay a lower minimum wage.

The Fight Is Just Starting

East Bay Working Families, a coalition of labor and community groups, and the Alameda Labor Council (AFL-CIO) have begun gathering signatures to refer this flawed legislation and force the city council to repeal the ordinance or send it to Emeryville Voters. We believe that the minimum wage is fundamentally fair and one job should be enough for workers to pay their bills and take care of their children.

In response to arguments from labor advocates, (John Bauters) he reminded the crowd that Emeryville has done enough to help low paid workers and the July 1st increase of $1.30 is unwarranted.

– From the Emeryville Tattler May 21, 2019