To the City of San Diego:

Thank you for caring about working families!

More than 1000 working San Diegans and their families have been lifted out of poverty because the City Council enacted a Living Wage Ordinance five years ago.

We are proud that our City requires companies with taxpayer-funded contracts to be responsible employers and give their workers the dignity of a Living Wage and health benefits. Enforcement of the Living Wage Ordinance has boosted the local economy, reduced the need for publicly funded safety-net services, and improved service quality by reducing turnover.

But most importantly, earning a living wage has given many San Diegans the key to escaping a life of poverty.

• David, a security guard at a San Diego water plant, was making less than $9 an hour. At age 60, he had no health insurance and was racking up huge medical bills. The Living Wage Ordinance allowed him to receive the health coverage he needed.


• For Amelio, a gardener with a city landscaping contractor for nearly two decades, the $2 per hour raise made it possible to make the mortgage payments on the home he shares with his wife and children.


• Elaine takes pride in keeping San Diego's libraries clean, but even working six days a week she couldn't make ends meet -- supporting three children and her ailing mother -- before the Living Wage.

As the Living Wage requirements for fair and decent wages and benefits have given these workers a chance to improve their lives, our entire community has been strengthened.

Thank you for the vision and leadership to create a more just society and to make San Diego a city that cares about working families!