To: West Hollywood City Council, West Hollywood City Council and City Staff

Raise the Wage, West Hollywood

West Hollywood City Council is discussing raising the minimum wage. Let's show them there is support for a liveable wage and this is a necessity that betters us all.

Why is this important?

We are the West Hollywood Action Committee (WHAC), and we are here to inform you of an up and coming action by the West Hollywood City Council to discuss raising the minimum wage to $15 during the next meeting on Monday the 21st at 6:30 P.M. Like you, we believe current starvation wages are unacceptable in our prosperous, progressive city and pledge to ensure that our business community affords its workers a livable wage in an expedient time frame as unsustainable income inequality is increasing.

As you know, a growing movement to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour has found victories in communities throughout the United States, and the results have been positive. It is long overdue for West Hollywood to join this movement. Our own Mayor Lindsey Horvath, along with Councilmember John Heilman, were elected after successfully campaigning for a liveable wage. While it’s clear our community is supportive, we’re left with three other council members as undecided voters. We need your help to convince them to join cities across the country in adopting a living wage before the Council meeting this Monday, the 21st.

West Hollywood prides itself on being a location where ‘we can live, work, and play’. In the attempt to deny a livable wage, our community makes the “live” part of that slogan an unobtainable goal. Your support of low-wage workers will directly impact us all.

The irony of this discussions’ timing in Women’s History Month should not be overlooked. Women have been the most exploited and hit hardest by the failure of the business community to care for their workers. March 25th marks the 105th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, where a majority of female factory workers lost their lives from a horrendous accident caused by dangerous working conditions. International Women’s Day, March 8th, was originally a call to action by women workers to demand progress in the workplace. Almost 150 years later, we stand on the shoulders of giants and continue working towards this reality.

If you agree that West Hollywood deserves to be a city that provides a livable wage to all our workers and encourages economic diversity, then we need you to get active as City Council will soon be making their own decision. Public statements will directly impact this issue -- your participation in the conversation as a supporter is critical. Join us at the West Hollywood City Council meeting on Monday, March 21st, at 6:30 PM and please write or call the City Council members directly through their contact information.

We are available to assist in letter writing or crafting a public statement of support. If you would like to sign on as an organization or business, please let us know! Thank you for your support and action on this issue.

For a diverse and inclusive West Hollywood,

West Hollywood Action Committee
[email protected]
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