Prevailing wage bill gains support
The Rev. David Thornton, of Grace Memorial Presbyterian Church in the Hill District, speaks to a gathering about the prevailing wage legislation outside Pittsburgh Schenley High in East Liberty.
Backers of prevailing wage legislation under consideration by Pittsburgh City Council yesterday added religious fervor to a debate that had, until then, been largely about development and dollars.
Standing in cold, trampled, muddy grass between Pittsburgh Schenley High School and the Bakery Square development, representatives of Christian, Jewish and Muslim congregations used words from their holy books and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s holiday to bolster the bill ahead of a possible council vote tomorrow.
"We pray that our leaders will be granted the wisdom to finally pass the prevailing wage bill," said Rabbi Jamie Gibson of Temple Sinai, as about 150 people cheered.
He said the city shouldn't back developers that create minimum wage jobs, rhetorically asking them, "Why can't you get by on minimum profit?"
At issue is legislation that would compel tenants of large developments that get city aid to pay hotel, janitorial, cafeteria and grocery store workers rates equal to the average for their peers in the city. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl vetoed the same bill on Dec. 31 and has introduced a competing version. His stance was panned at the rally.
"Unfortunately, this justice-filled [legislation] was vetoed at the 23rd hour by Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl," said the Rev. David Thornton, prompting the crowd to boo loudly. He said the mayor had initially pledged not to stand in the way of the legislation if council approved it. "When the vote was unanimous, the mayor changed his mind at the last minute and vetoed the legislation."
Later, in a phone interview, Executive Director Rob Stephany of the city Urban Redevelopment Authority said there was "ambiguity in [council's] bill that is the death knell of economic revitalization."
While proponents of the council bill sought to use Bakery Square -- with a hotel that is likely to be nonunion -- as an example of the need for the legislation, Mr. Stephany made the opposite argument.
Bakery Square "is a project nested within the city's boundaries of Larimer, a neighborhood that could desperately use jobs," he said. "We're going to work to ensure that the neighborhood gets a chance at those jobs."
Council's prevailing wage legislation, he said, would jeopardize future jobs.
The rally was organized by the Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network and showcased the coalition of religious, labor, environmental, community and racial justice groups that has coalesced around an effort to rewrite city development policy. It has won over most of council.
The rally drew council members Ricky Burgess, Bruce Kraus, William Peduto, Natalia Rudiak and Doug Shields, some of whom appeared intent on pushing for an initial, tentative vote on the council bill tomorrow. The mayor's alternative is likely to be formally introduced today and come up for a tentative vote next week.
"We've spent three months discussing this," said Mr. Peduto, arguing for a prompt vote. The vetoed version was introduced in mid-November and was the subject of public hearings and votes.
Council President Darlene Harris, though, said there may yet be time for another public airing. "We want to do it thoroughly," she said, "because we want to make sure that everybody has their input on it."