Philly Passes Fair Workweek, Minimum Wage Legislation

PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia workers have cause to celebrate, as Thursday the Philadelphia City Council passed legislation ensuring fair hours for tens of thousands of working Philadelphians and an increased minimum wage for city workers and city contractor employees.

The council passed by a 14-to-3 vote the "Fair Workweek" bill, which ensures a fair work week for retail, food service, and hospitality workers across Philadelphia.

Councilwoman Helen Gym introduced the bill, which guarantees at least 11 hours between employee shifts, chances to work more hours, and allows for enforcement and penalties if an employer does not comply with the new rules.

"Yes to working families. Yes to dignity," Gym said on Twitter. "Today in the poorest city in the nation, we put people over profits."

Gym said the new rules will help 130,000 workers in the city.

Additionally, the council unanimously passed a separate measure that raises the Philadelphia 21st Century Minimum Wage for city workers and employees of city contractors to $15 an hour.

"I applaud members of City Council for their overwhelming approval today of two pieces of legislation that will help give working Philadelphians a chance to improve the quality of their family’s lives," Mayor Jim Kenney said of the legislation. "The Fair Work Week and Minimum Wage bills will go a long way to ensuring that our hard-working residents have the dignity of stable employment and a steady schedule."

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