RESOLUTION NO. 220404
title
Supporting the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1's appeal for living wages and benefits for area janitors who are essential workers.
body
WHEREAS, the poverty rate for the City of Kansas City is 16 percent which is close to double the national poverty rate of 9 percent; and
WHEREAS, the Kansas City metropolitan area has historically been one of the most economically and racially segregated in the nation. Black and Hispanic residents in the Kansas City region are three times more likely to live in poverty than Whites; and
WHEREAS, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of March 2021, among private industry workers only 12 percent of workers had access to paid sick leave in occupations typically defined as low income jobs, janitors largely fall within this category; and
WHEREAS, the State of Missouri has recognized the importance of fairly compensating state workers by approving on February 24, 2022 a supplemental spending bill that would set minimum wage pay for state workers at $15 per hour; and
WHEREAS, the Kansas City Council unanimously passed Ordinance No. 210685 on September 23, 2021, to provide fair compensation and a path to a living wage by paying City employees a minimum wage of $15 per hour; and
WHEREAS, essential workers like janitors have worked continuously to keep buildings in the Kansas City metropolitan area clean and safe for public use during the COVID-19 pandemic even without access to necessary benefits like paid sick days; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
That the Mayor and Council support the SEIU Local 1's appeal to the owners of buildings in the City of Kansas City to ensure that the janitors who work in their buildings to make them clean and safe, are paid a fair wage and receive access to benefits like paid sick leave and meaningful retirement benefits; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this ...
Click here for full text