Good Government Beats Ideology
Kuff provides us his side of things regarding the recently Council-approved contract with HOPE--the City's employee union.
Bottom line: The three-year contract will cost the city $5.2 million this fiscal year, but $179 million overall. The pact calls for additional across-the-board 3 percent pay raises in fiscal 2010 and 2011.
The contract also guarantees that all workers will earn at least $10 an hour by September of next year. That will affect about 1,000 workers who currently earn annual wages below $20,400 -- the federal poverty level for a family of four.
My Council Member Mike Sullivan voted against it utilizing a purely ideological argument. I expected and would have preferred a more business-oriented argument about increasing productivity and keeping good employees. Well, he kind of tried with his concerns about turnover; however, avoided employee attitudes and how they may affect productivity. We all know that the best most productive employees are those who are provided with good wages and good benefits.
Ultimately, Sullivan argued that it's "a lot" of money, but as the City of Houston attempts to attract good jobs to Houston, I would think that city government has a responsibility to ensure these businesses are about creating well-paying jobs, and not just using Houston as a low-wage center, much like Toyota has done to San Antonio. And government must set the example during a time when CEO salaries continue to rise astronomically, and corporate profits increase, while working-class wages remain stagnant.
Frankly, I think it was high-time the City invested in its employees and ensuring something close to a livable wage is a start. Yes, a start.
Congrats to HOPE, and a salute to the 13 members of Council that voted in favor of the contract.
Bottom line: The three-year contract will cost the city $5.2 million this fiscal year, but $179 million overall. The pact calls for additional across-the-board 3 percent pay raises in fiscal 2010 and 2011.
The contract also guarantees that all workers will earn at least $10 an hour by September of next year. That will affect about 1,000 workers who currently earn annual wages below $20,400 -- the federal poverty level for a family of four.
My Council Member Mike Sullivan voted against it utilizing a purely ideological argument. I expected and would have preferred a more business-oriented argument about increasing productivity and keeping good employees. Well, he kind of tried with his concerns about turnover; however, avoided employee attitudes and how they may affect productivity. We all know that the best most productive employees are those who are provided with good wages and good benefits.
Ultimately, Sullivan argued that it's "a lot" of money, but as the City of Houston attempts to attract good jobs to Houston, I would think that city government has a responsibility to ensure these businesses are about creating well-paying jobs, and not just using Houston as a low-wage center, much like Toyota has done to San Antonio. And government must set the example during a time when CEO salaries continue to rise astronomically, and corporate profits increase, while working-class wages remain stagnant.
Frankly, I think it was high-time the City invested in its employees and ensuring something close to a livable wage is a start. Yes, a start.
Congrats to HOPE, and a salute to the 13 members of Council that voted in favor of the contract.
posted by Dos Centavos at 9:46 PM
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