PITTSBURGH – Allegheny County Council on Tuesday voted to override County Executive Rich Fitzgerald’s veto of a bill to raise the minimum wage for county workers. The legislation calls for the county to pay workers a minimum of $18 an hour beginning in 2024, which increases to $19 an hour in 2025 and $20 an hour in 2026.
Salaried county workers would be paid at least $41,600 per year once the $20 an hour rate kicks in. Councilor-at-large Bethany Hallam said Tuesday that even that amount didn’t seem adequate.
“When you say it like that, it’s not even the cost of living for a single person with a child,” Hallam said. “We’re not just talking about high school kids working at concession stands, we’re not just talking about lifeguards — although yes, I believe that they deserve a living wage, too — we are talking about people who have worked at the county for decades who still aren’t making $41,600 per year. That is a shame.”
Ten councilors voted to override, the same ones who voted in favor of the bill’s original passage on June 6: Olivia Bennett, Jack Betkowski, Tom Duerr, Hallam, Paul Klein, Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis, John Palmiere, Bob Palmosina, Anita Prizio, and Council President Patrick Catena.
“Agreeing to work for the county should not necessarily entail taking a vow of poverty,” Catena said. “Balancing our budget must never be dependent on forcing our employees to truly take that vow on a daily basis.”
Councilor Suzanne Filiaggi, who was absent from the June 6 vote,...
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