Gainesville's General Policy Committee discussed possible wage differences between regular city employees and temporary city employees Thursday.
The Living Wage Ordinance, which establishes a living-wage requirement for city employees and those contracted by the city, was adjusted in July 2015, but the living-wage requirement only covered regular city employees.
Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe wants everybody to receive the proper living wage.
“I believe employees should be paid x amount of dollars, doesn’t matter whether they’re regular, temp, or seasonal,” Poe said. “My attitude doesn’t change.”
All of the city commissioners agreed with Poe and reached a consensus to move the living-wage issue for city employees from the referral list to an agenda item at a future city commission meeting.
Poe wants to resolve this issue about internal city employees before the end of the year. The city commission will discuss living wages for employees of contractors next year.
The current living wage for city employees is $11.68 an hour with health benefits and $12.93 an hour with no health benefits based on the federal poverty line. The North Central Florida Labor Council wants the living wage to start at $12 an hour.
Jeremiah Tattersall, a field staff member with the council, wrote in an email that he has personally been working on the living-wage issue for almost two years and much of last year in conjunction with the council.
“I’m happy that this conversation is happening,” Tattersall said. “The school board had this conversation, the University of Florida had this conversation, and now the city is having this conversation.”
All committee members agreed to address living wage for all city employees again before the end of the year.