By Kari Tarbet
Many Utahns earn wages equal to or below the poverty line - and some people say it is just not enough.
George Neckel is one of those people. As a spokesperson for Jobs with Justice, a group that seeks to promote economic justice, he said improvements in Utah''s wages are greatly needed.
The $8.70 an hour 'living wage' is what a family of four could live on if their employer provided medical benefits, Neckel said.
The living wage covers only basic needs and is computed based on the poverty line set by the federal government, Neckel said.
Utah''s wages are 20 percent lower than the national average, while the cost of living in Utah is right at the national average, he said.
The Utah chapter of Jobs for Justice, known locally as the Salt Lake Living Wage Coalition, is working to improve wages in Utah. The organization is a collection of labor unions, faith-based organizations and students, Neckel said.
Coalition members wants Salt Lake City to pass an ordinance requiring contractors who bid on city contracts to disclose how many employees are paid less than $8.70 an hour and how many employees receive health care benefits, Neckel said.
'We are trying to raise people''s awareness about the poverty line, minimum wage-and what it really costs to live,' he said.
In concept, the mayor is supportive, said Josh Ewing, communications director for Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson. However, the mayor''s office is just beginning to look into what the proposed ordinance will do.
'The legislature has made a living wage illegal,' Ewing said. Whether or not this is the way to reach the goal is still to be determined, he said.
The issue must be handled carefully and be practically applied so it will not harm the taxpayers, Ewing said.
In Utah County, families earn a little more than the defined living wage, said Eric Mausser, Provo City director of human resources.
Provo City has been spotlighted as one city that may be dealing with a similar proposed ordinance in the future, Mausser said.
The Salt Lake City ordinance is likely to be deferred, he said.
The ordinance must be reviewed in light of the law passed in 2000 by the Utah State Legislature, Mausser said. The law precludes municipalities from discriminating against bidders who pay their employees the $5.15 minimum hourly wage, he said.
'I think the cause has some merit to review - but I think it should be approached cautiously because there are unintended consequences,' Mausser said.
One of the unintended consequences is the impact a living wage requirement could have on smaller businesses, he said.
Large companies could likely absorb the higher costs, Mausser said. However, smaller businesses would have to factor their higher costs into the bid they submit to the city, he said. Those higher costs could put the smaller, locally owned businesses out of the running, Mausser said.
'In Provo City, those are the businesses we would like to support,' he said.