[Livingwage] Living Wage

[Belden Fields]

Hi Nikki,

     The Living Wage Association of Champaign County has been in  
existence for at least seven years now.  I was successful in securing  
living wage policies for employees of the County and the City of  
Urbana, but not Champaign.  It has also helped both the county health  
district and the public housing authority implement such policies for  
their employees.  It also assisted the employees of the Champaign  
School District in getting a living wage clause in their contract.   
What the campaign has not done yet is to get public entities to  
extend living wage conditions to contracts, publicly backed loans, or  
tax abatements--i.e. to extend living wage to the private sector when  
it gets something from the government.

     We have not yet decided to approach this extension, but we would  
love to have the  cooperation of your economic disparities committee  
in this.  We used to have monthly meetings, but discontinued them  
because the turnout was too low.  I would be glad to meet with you  
and talk more about the living wage.  Also, feel free to call me at  
home at 344-7265.  One final thing--I will be on a panel dealing with  
the living wage on Wednesday, October 12, at 7 pm, at St. Patrick's  
Parish on Main Street in Urbana.  If you would like to attend that, I  
am sure it would be ok with the people putting it on--the Social  
Committee of the church.  Just let me know if that would interest you.

     Again, thanks so much for contacting me.  I am really pleased  
that your committee has decided to work on this issue.

Belden Fields