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low-income
Earning less than, or at least not significantly more than, the poverty level. Low-income persons have less disposable income than others and may sometimes struggle to pay their bills. households.
Youth unemployment has spiked to historic levels during the COVID-19 pandemic, aggravating the already large racial disparities that persist in youth employment rates. Investing in youth jobs represents an investment in a more equitable economic future for young people and their families and a better-skilled labor force for the city. Funding youth jobs has also demonstrated an increase in community safety and a direct decrease in violence. We must increase City funding for youth jobs to fund 1,000 school-year and 5,000 summer jobs, expand programming to fully include 14- to 22-year-olds and undocumented youth, and direct city funding to youth-serving community organizations.
Expanding the equity initiatives in the City contracting and procurement process to include worker-owned businesses and organizations, especially those owned by Black folks, people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ workers, will ensure these communities have equal access and opportunity to build wealth. This is why I support the demands of the Boston Economic Council of Massachusetts. I will set spending goals of 15% for Black-owned businesses and a combined 40% for women- and minority-owned businesses, including LGBTQ+ owners, and direct all City departments and quasi-city agencies to unbundle large contracts set to become available in 2021. In addition to the spending goals, I will expand support to these businesses by ensuring they can access legal assistance when navigating the application process while streamlining and simplifying it.
Racial Wealth Gap
The racial wealth gap in the United States is the disparity in median wealth between the different races. In Boston, white families have an average net worth of $247,000 and Black families an average net worth of $8. will require that we use an equity lens and further our economy’s democratization. Expanding the equity initiatives for worker-owned businesses,
Worker-Owned Businesses
Values-driven businesses that put worker and community benefit at the core of their purpose. In contrast to traditional companies, worker-members at worker cooperatives participate in the profits, oversight, and often management of the enterprise using democratic practices. especially those owned by Black folks, people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ workers, will ensure marginalized communities have equal access and opportunity to build wealth. With this in mind, I will advocate for the expansion of the City’s Worker Cooperative Initiative to provide grants, loans, and technical and procurement assistance to start-up worker co-ops. This will also bolster support for current businesses who want to transition into a worker-owned model and companies offering employee stock ownership plans (ESOP).
Living Wage Ordinance
This ordinance requires that all employees working on sizable city contracts earn an hourly wage sufficient for a family of four to live at or above the federal poverty level. This wage amount, called the living wage, is recalculated every year and is currently set at $15.69. All vendors working on contracts with the City of Boston worth at least $25,000 are now required to pay their employees a living wage of at least $15.69 per hour. to subcontractors and independent contractors. With the expansion of the ordinance, misclassified workers would receive an additional wage premium to cover denied benefits due to misclassification. We will create a Gig Worker Advisory Board to convene stakeholders, set the minimum acceptable wage and benefit standards, direct the Wage Theft & Living Wage Division to investigate whether these companies pay workers the state minimum wage of $13.50, and build a coalition of municipal leaders to develop a framework for strengthening worker rights across the city lines.
The Chuck Turner Jobs Act builds upon his decades of work to create a more equitable Boston. I will sponsor the Act, which includes but is not limited to creating Community Stabilization Areas and Committees for any neighborhood where the median income is under $34,000. These neighborhoods will be targeted for special programs, including, but not limited to, First Source Hiring programs, training on employee rights, and access to quality jobs.
Paid for by The Committee to Elect Kendra Hicks. All Rights Reserved © 2020.