WHEREAS, More than a quarter of Philadelphia residents remain in poverty, including 14 percent in “deep poverty”, with incomes below half the poverty line. While a growing number of Philadelphians have jobs, and some work long hours or have two jobs, their low wages still leave too many with incomes that do not cover the cost of basic necessities, or enable workers to buy enough at neighborhood businesses to drive the City economy forward; and
WHEREAS, More than 1,000 parking workers cater to the City’s business, civic, professional, and cultural elite, as well as tourists; and
WHEREAS, 87 percent of parking workers are African American or African males that have lived in Philadelphia for more than 5 years; and
WHEREAS, The parking industry is a $30 billion industry in America, with CEOs taking home millions of dollars, which is a hundred or more times the pay of typical parking workers; and
WHEREAS, Low-wage service sector workers in the parking industry are paid a median wage of $9.50 an hour; at this rate, a single adult would have to work 68 hours per week to pay for housing, food, public transportation, child care, and other necessities for one child; and
WHEREAS, Despite working long hours, 69 percent of parking workers make below the City median salary, which is just $41,449, and 24 percent have an income below $20,000; and
WHEREAS, Many parking workers have more than one job and work as many as 70 hours per week; despite this, many parking workers live paycheck to paycheck, while 54 percent have difficulty paying one or more of their bills; and
WHEREAS, Despite many years with the with their current employer, two thirds of parking workers have never received a raise, making it difficult or next to impossible to keep up with the rising cost of living; and
WHEREAS, Increasing parking workers’ wages to at least $15 per hour would lift 1,000 parking workers out of poverty, and begin to build a new middle class for Philadelphia; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby authorizes City Council’s Committee on Labor and Civil Service to hold hearings regarding parking workers deserving a living wage.
End