On Tuesday, June 16, the Omaha City Council will hold a public hearing on Councilmember Danny Begley’s proposal to ensure that Omaha residents are paid a fair wage by restoring the protections the state legislature removed this year.
This hearing builds on the momentum from the Lincoln City Council’s decision to reestablish what Nebraskans voted for in 2022, when nearly 60% of voters and 7 out of 10 Omaha voters approved a ballot measure to increase Nebraska’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026 and to ensure our wages continue to grow annually as the cost of living increases.
Unfortunately, during this past state 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 to 1.75% — all but ensuring that Nebraska’s wages over time will once again fail to keep pace with rising costs.
This ordinance would restore the wage laws Omaha voters widely supported by ensuring youth workers are paid a fair wage and removing the harmful cap on annual cost of living increases for workers in Omaha.
TAKE ACTION
Tell your City Council Member to uphold the will of Omaha voters and restore the critical wage protections we voted for in 2022.
