Campaign Remarks May Reveal Mayor Tornek’s Approach to Minimum Wage Dialogue

 

In a forum earlier this year where he spoke as a mayoral candidate, Mayor Terry Tornek advocated for a thorough dialogue throughout the community about a local ordinance to raise the minimum wage to demonstrate that concerns about such a raise are unwarranted.

Tornek told the audience at the January 24 forum that he had heard “tremendous resistance and fear” from local businesspersons about the impact such a wage raise would have on their businesses.

“What we really need to do is a ‘Pasadena process’ of engaging people and having a real dialogue with the people who provide the jobs and demonstrate that some of these fears and uncertainties are unfounded,” Tornek said.

Tonight, at Tornek’s behest, the Pasadena City Council will begin the community engagement process with its first discussion of a potential ordinance to raise the local minimum raise.

The Mayor told the Pasadena Weekly last week that the discussion would focus on what the process for considering a wage increase will look like for the Pasadena City Council.

At the earlier mayoral candidates forum in January, Tornek addressed a crowd comprised almost exclusively of union members, low-income workers, clergyman, and civil rights activists, giving insight into what the process he is envisioning could be like.

Tornek said he was there in support of the proposed measures to increase wages to $15 by 2020 and enforce guaranteed sick days. However, he said he did not think that event represented a true dialogue.

“It is described as a dialogue and yet there is virtually no one in this room, including myself, who is not supportive of these provisions. A dialogue requires that we engage,” Tornek said.

When he brought up the issue with business people at a different event, Tornek said their response was resistance and fear.

“I think largely some of the fear and concerns are unfounded and yet they are real. What makes Pasadena successful is the ability for us to incorporate a whole range of different points of view and our ability to engage in a dialogue successfully,” Tornek said.

Paul Little, President of Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, said last week he wants to see an independent economic impact study specific to Pasadena rather than following the exact footsteps of Los Angeles County.

“Pasadena is a unique economic environment, and we would hope care and time would be taken to study impacts in our city and not just rely on opinions from others,” Little said.

Little speaks out of concern for small local businesses and the possible impacts a minimum wage similar to Los Angeles City and County could bring.

Several business owners also hope to see the issue studied carefully before making a decision including long time Pasadena restaurateur Jack Huang, owner of SORRISO, Bar Celona, iX-tapa Cantina.

“First, they really should do some case study of Seattle or some city had initiated implementing this policy and look at the overall impact of that ideology before they vote,” Huang said. “I’m sure it’s a very popular vote. There are more voters out there that will benefit from it than there are small business owners. We don’t have as many votes.”

Councilmember Victor Gordo, who acted as one of the hosts of the January forum, also made his opinion clear in favor of supporting the labor unions to increase the minimum wage.

Robin Salzer, owner of Robin’s Woodfire BBQ, realizes that it is not if, but when the increase will happen. Salazar said that Mayor Tornek had begun communication with the small business community to include them in the process.

“Before any change is set in stone a robust discussion should be had with all city and business leaders to ensure that all concerns are heard and that implementation is acceptable to all,” Salazar said.

Political Professor Peter Dreier of Occidental College said he believes the vote will come before the Council as soon as October.
The City Council meeting will commence at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave., Pasadena.