The Chicago City Council took the historic step of passing the Big Box Living Wage Ordinance last month, requiring large, profitable retailers with stores larger than 90,000 square feet and generating at least $1 billion in annual sales to pay a living wage of $10 per hour and $3 in benefits to their employees.

The measure passed with a 35-14 vote, receiving enough support to override a possible veto by Mayor Daley who opposed the ordinance.

The passage of the ordinance is a victory for all the communities and working men and women in Chicago who deserve to earn a living wage and benefits in exchange for their hard work.  It sets a national standard for making sure individuals earn a living wage with benefits in exchange for day's work.

“At the heart of the ordinance is equality and fairness,” said Chicago Federation of Labor President Dennis Gannon.  “Today's vote sends a message that our elected officials and community members alike are not interested in the creation of low paying jobs that fail to provide a living wage or adequate health care benefits for working families.  The choice between no job and a low-paying job is a choice between bad and worse.”
 Supporters of the ordinance argued that corporations that can well afford to pay a living wage should be held to a higher standard. Only when families can afford to make ends meet and afford quality health care will we see real improvement in our communities.

The ordinance received overwhelming support from grassroots community organizations, religious groups, the labor community, elected officials and a majority of Chicagoans who want to raise the standard of living in our communities through the creation of good jobs. 

Thanks to the tireless work of CFL affiliated local unions-especially UFCW, SEIU, UNITE HERE and Teamsters-and countless community organizations-the Grassroots Collaborative, ACORN, Jobs with Justice, Citizen Action, the Chicago Interfaith Committee on Worker Issues, Metro Seniors in Action, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, and many others-the rights of lower and middle class workers have ascended once again into the public discourse.

“I also applaud the aldermen who acted on behalf of the interests of the people on this vote,” added Gannon.  “These men and women took to heart the issue of equality and living wage and did the right thing by voting to pass the ordinance.”