The Westside Greens unanimously voted on Thursday to support Santa Monica’s recently passed living wage ordinance.
Hailing the law as a pioneering success for low-wage tourism workers, the Westside Greens also announced their opposition to an anticipated attempt by luxury hotels and other affected businesses to collect signatures forcing a referendum to reverse the ordinance.
According to longtime Westside Green and Santa Monica Mid-City neighborhood resident Linda Piera-Avila, “Our new living wage for tourism workers is an accomplishment Santa Monicans should stand proudly behind.
“A living wage furthers economic justice and the welfare of the workers, plus we taxpayers are no longer bearing the burden of food stamps and subsidized medical clinics for full-time workers so poorly paid they can’t meet their family food and health expenses.”
The Westside Greens are a recognized local of the Green Party of California, covering the area from the Santa Monica Mountains to the Marina and from Doheny to the sea. They meet at 7:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 7, 2002. Read the original PDF.