PORTLAND, Maine - Green Party activists in Portland today began the citizen initiative process that they hope will lead to a sizeable minimum wage increase in Maine's biggest city.
The Portland Green Independent Committee submitted an affidavit and final ordinance language to the Portland City Clerk this afternoon, and members hope to start collecting signatures at the end of next week.
Committee Chair Tom MacMillan says the initiative seeks to create a municipal minimum wage of $15 per hour by 2019, with tipped workers getting $11.25 per hour.
"Many workers have not gotten a significant raise in many many years," he said. "It's pushing working people out of the city and it's causing poverty among our children."
MacMillan cites the example of a West Coast city to refute charges made by some in the business community that such an ordinance would dampen commercial activity.
"The city of Seattle's $15-an-hour initiative is due to go into effect on April 1st, and all of the reports we've heard from there are that restaurant owners are expanding, they're not cutting jobs," he said. "And we expect the same thing to happen here in Portland because more money will be put into the hands of people who work for a living."
Petitioners must collect at least 1,500 signatures within 80 days. The Portland Greens and their allies say they plan to collect at least 3,000 signatures in total.
