NIMBY in La-La Land

Union leaders who were so vocal in advocating for an increase in Los Angeles’s city minimum wage are now demanding an exemption from that ordinance for companies who have existing collective bargaining agreements:

Labor leaders, who were among the strongest supporters of the citywide minimum wage increase approved last week by the Los Angeles City Council, are advocating last-minute changes to the law that could create an exemption for companies with unionized workforces.

The push to include an exception to the mandated wage increase for companies that let their employees collectively bargain was the latest unexpected detour as the city nears approval of its landmark legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020.

For much of the past eight months, labor activists have argued against special considerations for business owners, such as restaurateurs, who said they would have trouble complying with the mandated pay increase.

I’m not entirely sure what’s going on here. Protecting their turf? Have they just realized that if workers can get raises by government edict they don’t need union representation?

6 comments… add one
  • Ben Wolf Link

    Yes. And if a work guarantee proposal ever landed on the table unions would fight it hard as anyone. They want cowed, desperate workers, too.

  • PD Shaw Link

    @Ben, I’m not that cynical. Historically, labor unions have supported a whole host of government reforms dealing with hours and wages, healthcare, pension protections, occupational safety that benefit people not affiliated with unions. Mickey Kaus, union-skeptic was asked this once, and he had to concede that labor had acted according to principle, not interest. This particular situation is different.

  • Andy Link

    OT, but Dave, have you seen this yet?

    http://www.cnbc.com/id/102707721

  • No, I hadn’t. Thank you. A man more cynical than I would have said that was the whole idea of the program.

  • ... Link

    Andy, WOW! I’d expected inefficiency, but that is remarkable. I still believe the ultimate purpose of the PPACA is to crash the system so they can replace it with something they like and can control completely. This doesn’t disabuse me of that notion at all.

  • steve Link

    If you read the original piece, this is the MLR once you get past the start up stage. They project this to be better than what it currently runs for in the private insurance market. Would Medicare for all have had lower admin costs? Probably, but no way you get that thru Congress. If you want to have people getting their insurance thru private firms, this is what you will pay.

    Steve

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