[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 7, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E5]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    INTRODUCTION OF LIVABLE WAGE ACT

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                          HON. BRUCE F. VENTO

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 7, 1997

  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation intended 
to take a major step forward toward a livable wage for working men and 
women in our country. Too often American workers are forced to take 
jobs that pay substandard wages and have few or no health benefits. At 
a time when U.S. corporations are making record profits and the economy 
is strong and stable, it seems unreasonable that working families must 
struggle and cannot make ends meet. It is unconscionable for 
corporations to sacrifice fair wages for their workers in pursuit of 
inflated profit margins, and it is doubly so when these businesses are 
performing work on behalf of the Federal Government--when the workers' 
taxes which pay for Federal services and products perpetuate such 
depressed compensation.
  My legislation is straightforward, simple and just; if you are a 
Federal contractor or subcontractor you will be required to pay wages 
to your employees that exceed the official poverty line for a family of 
four. This would be fair and equitable compensation achieved by law. 
When a business contracts for services or materials with the Federal 
Government and benefits from working families' taxpayer dollars, at the 
very least it should be required to pay its employees a livable wage.
  As of March 4, 1996, the official poverty line for a family of four 
is $15,600. This is obviously not an exorbitant wage. Imagine a family 
of four trying to live on this amount or less. It may not seem 
possible, but it is done every day in this country. There are serious 
disparities in our society when hard-working men and women, holding 
down full-time jobs, cannot earn enough to bring their families out of 
the poverty cycle, while company executives earn an average of 70 times 
that of their average employee.
  My bill does not attempt to alleviate this disparity throughout the 
business sector, but it does require those corporate entities receiving 
taxpayer dollars to be accountable to their workers. This is a 
reasonable and practical bill. It allows companies to count any 
benefits, such as health care, which they provide for employees as part 
of their wage determination, and it provides an exemption for small 
businesses and bona fide job training or apprenticeship programs.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation to 
help ensure the American worker receives a fair day's pay for a fair 
day's work.

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