On Monday, May 4, the Lincoln City Council will hold a public hearing on Councilmember James Michael Bowers’ proposal to ensure that Lincolnites are paid a fair wage by restoring the wage protections the state legislature recently removed.
In 2022, almost 60% of Nebraska voters – and 7 out of 10 Lincoln voters – approved the Raise the Wage Nebraska ballot measure to increase Nebraska’s minimum wage, and to ensure our wages continue to grow as the cost of living increases.
Unfortunately, during this past legislative session, state lawmakers rolled back these popular wage protections in two harmful ways: (1) they created a subminimum wage for youth workers, who often are working to provide vital income for their families, and (2) they restricted the annual wage adjustments and all but ensured that Nebraska’s wages over time will once again fail to keep pace with rising costs.
This ordinance would restore the wage laws Lincolnites so broadly supported by ensuring youth workers are paid a fair wage and removing the harmful cap on annual cost of living increases for workers in Lincoln.
TAKE ACTION: Tell Your City Council members to uphold the will of Lincoln voters and restore the critical wage protections we voted for in 2022
