Opponents of newly approved ordinances that give healthcare workers in several Southern California cities a $25-an-hour minimum wage have gathered enough signatures to put the issue before voters.
Opponents say the ordinances are unfair, as the base wage applies only to healthcare employees in private hospitals, integrated health systems and dialysis clinics, while healthcare workers in public facilities who do the exact same jobs are excluded.
SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, a union of healthcare workers, collected the required amount of signatures for Los Angeles, Downey, Inglewood, Duarte and Monterey Park to place referendums on the ballot, but the timing will vary from city to city.
The union also gathered signatures for a referendum in Long Beach. The No on the Long Beach Unequal Pay Measure campaign turned those in Wednesday, Sept. 21 for review.
To qualify the referendum in L.A., the law required 40,717 valid signatures from registered voters in the city.
The No on the Los Angeles Unequal Pay Measure coalition – composed of health care workers, community clinics, seniors, community organizations, businesses, hospitals and other health care providers – turned in 88,387 signatures to the City Clerk’s office on Aug. 10.
The ordinance will not take effect until voters in the City of Los Angeles vote on the referendum, likely in 2024.
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