Media Advisory
Oct. 13, 2014
Contacts
Stacey Hendler Ross: 408.606.2061
Khanh Weinberg: 408.921.0098
Coalition unveils the nation’s most comprehensive living wage proposal
Santa Clara County supervisor takes “Can you survive in Silicon Valley?” challenge
SAN JOSE, Calif. – In the Valley of Plenty, one in three residents does not earn enough to get by. As the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors contemplates creating an ordinance requiring its contractors to pay employees a living wage, a new economic report will be released Tuesday, Oct. 14, illustrating the profound and widening economic gap in Silicon Valley.
The report, “Setting Job Standards for a New Economy: An Innovative Living Wage for Silicon Valley,” lays out elements for the most comprehensive local legislation covering entities that do business with a county.
WHAT: Coalition presents report: “Setting Job Standards for a New Economy: An Innovative Living Wage for Silicon Valley”
WHO: Working Partnerships USA, South Bay Labor Council, Service Employees International Union Local 521, and Supervisors Ken Yeager, Dave Cortese
WHEN: 10 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 14
WHERE: 70 West Hedding Street, San Jose
With the tech industry booming and the economy rapidly recovering, the average low-wage worker in Santa Clara County is falling further behind. Many who make minimum wage, or just above, struggle to make ends meet in Silicon Valley where the cost of living continues to soar. A living wage, by comparison, is a standard, not a floor, for what workers must earn to be self-sufficient.
The full report, available online on Oct. 14, addresses the underlying causes and presents a pathway to building a better local economy and strengthening communities throughout the Valley.
Members of the media are invited to view a 3-minute video of Jorge, a security officer who, after 23 years on the job, makes less than $12 an hour.
In the video, Jorge challenges the Board of Supervisors to survive on his salary. To see which Santa Clara County supervisor takes the challenge, visit: www.svlivingwage.com
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