LRAA Override Fails; "We'll Be Back," Supporters Vow

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Living wage supporters promised to hold District leaders accountable at the ballot box after they failed to override DC Mayor Vincent Gray’s veto of the Large Retailer Accountability Act (LRAA) yesterday. “We’ll be back!” chanted dozens of activists who had crowded the Council chambers for the 7-6 vote; voting against the override were David Catania (I- At Large), Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4), Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7) and Anita Bonds (D-At Large). Bonds had voted for the bill in July. At a spirited rally on the Wilson Building steps before the vote, workers and community leaders said though they knew their chances of winning this battle were slim, they had in a sense already won by “changing the terms of the debate” and forcing the issue of a living wage front and center. Council members Orange, Wells and Catania have all introduced proposals to hike the minimum wage for all D.C. workers from the current $8.25 to anywhere from $10.25 to $12.50 an hour. “This vote sends a message to legislators in cities and towns across the country,” said Sarita Gupta, Jobs with Justice and American Rights at Work executive director, underlining the vote’s national impact. “Residents will continue to speak out and demand fair wages for workers in their city. This fight in D.C. is just the beginning.” Added Metro Washington Council President Jos Williams, "While we thank those who stood with workers, those who did not must know that their actions will have consequences." 
- report/photos by Chris Garlock