Harris County Commissioners vote unanimously to raise minimum wage for certain workers
HOUSTON - Salaries are growing for certain area workers.
Harris County Commissioners have raised minimum wage to $15 dollars an hour for county contract workers, to match the pay of county employees.
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Commissioner Rodney Ellis proposed passing policy for the pay hike for "fair pay" and "shared prosperity", saying some custodians who clean county buildings are paid "as little as $10 an hour".
Commissioner Ellis also cited a recent Kinder Institute study saying with soaring costs, and low salaries more area residents are barely getting by.
"46% of those surveyed in this study could not afford a $400 emergency in cash on hand. That's the highest level recorded in that survey's history. Harris County is home to ongoing and growing inequality. This is especially true for communities of color, women, working families and young people," says Commissioner Ellis.
"We need to make sure every worker in the city of Houston is able to live with the dignity and respect that they deserve, that includes janitorial workers. That could include security officers and many other workers who frankly have been left behind in the past will now also have an opportunity to have a minimum livable wage," adds SEIU Texas President Elsa Flores.
"We need to walk the walk, so I will proudly vote in favor of it," says Commissioner Lesley Briones.
Several members of the Service Employees International Union attended today's Commissioner's Court meeting. They say earning $15 an hour will make a huge difference and allow many of them to hold just one job and be able to spend time with their family.
County Commissioners voted unanimously to raise minimum wage to $15 an hour for county contract workers.