Des Plaines Reverses Vote On County Wage, Sick Leave Rules

DES PLAINES, IL — The Des Plaines City Council reversed its decision from two weeks ago, as alderman voted Monday to exclude local businesses and workers from a Cook County ordinance that requires employers to pay a higher minimum wage and offer a minimum amount of earned sick days.

At the June 5 council meeting, Des Plaines aldermen voted 4-3 to go along with the ordinance and raise wages. Following that vote, the local Chamber of Commerce intensified its lobbying efforts.

On Monday, the vote was 6-1 to opt out of the ordinance after several hours of passionate testimony. Business owners repeatedly portrayed a doomsday scenario if the ordinance took effect, according to the Daily Herald.

Voting against an increase to the minimum wage and sick leave mandates were aldermen Mark Lysakowski, Denise Rodd, Carla Brookman, Malcolm Chester, Don Smith and Mike Charewicz, the Daily Herald reported. Ald. Dick Sayad opposed the measure, and Ald. Jack Robinson abstained from each vote.

Starting July 1, minimum wage for workers without tips in parts of Cook County that have not opted out will rise from $8.25 to $10 per hour. After that, the ordinance mandates an incremental rise to $13 per hour in 2020 and tied to inflation after that.

As for sick leave, employers would need to allow employees who work above a certain threshold of days to earn an hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours of work. (Sign up for our free daily newsletters and breaking news alerts for the Des Plaines Patch)

Dozens of suburban municipalities with Home Rule taxing authority have already voted to opt out of the county's wage increase, including nearby Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, Palatine and Mount Prospect, as local Chambers of Commerce lobby city and village officials to adopt identical opt-out ordinances.

Three Des Plaines alderman asked for the re-vote, 1st Ward Ald. Mark Lysakowski, 8th Ward Ald. Mike Charewicz and 5th Ward Ald. Carla Brookman, according to the Journal and Topics. According to Mayor Matt Bogusz, who supported the wage increase and called it a "moral issue" last meeting, the vote was able to be retaken because it was approved with fewer than five votes.

Chicago's minimum wage increase is projected to add $860 million into the city's economy by 2019 and help push hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty.

Some opponents of the wage increase have argued it should be implemented on a state-wide level.

The Cook County Board of Commissioners, which drew up what it calls a "Living Wage" and sick leave ordinance, said at the time the Board needed to pass the ordinance because both the federal and state governments "have failed to act."

Last month, state lawmakers passed a bill to eventually raise the Illinois minimum wage to $15 per hour. Gov. Rauner is expected to veto the bill.

Top photo via Patch file