St. Louis Aldermen Urge Employers to “Save the Raise” and Keep Minimum Pay at $10/Hour

Joint Statement by Majority of Council Comes as Grassroots Coalition Urges Employers to Honor City Minimum Wage Post-Preemption

“For nearly two months, more than 30,000 people working in St. Louis have benefitted from life-changing raises that help cover the cost of rent, pay for groceries and keep the lights on. Now, Gov. Greitens and Republican lawmakers have enacted a cruel law that will roll back the city minimum wage and put those raises at risk. The City of St. Louis enacted the minimum wage ordinance in 2015 to lift up working families, bolster the local economy, and foster a stronger and safer community. Despite years of obstruction by corporate lobbyists and this newest attack on fair pay by Republican politicians in Jefferson City, that vision is still within reach. All employers still have the power to do the right thing and continue to pay the fair wage. We urge all public and private employers in St. Louis to follow the example of small businesses that have already pledged to ‘Save the Raise’ by paying all workers a minimum of $10/hour, even after the state preemption law goes into effect on Aug. 28. Let’s send a message to Jefferson City that our city will only move forward, and not one step back.”

Jeffrey L. Boyd
Shane Cohn
John Collins-Muhammad
Marlene E. Davis
Megan E. Green
Dan Guenther
Christine Ingrassia
Terry Kennedy
Sarah Martin
Samuel L. Moore
Beth Murphy
Heather Navarro
Lewis E. Reed
Cara Spencer
Sharon Tyus
Frank Williamson