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Thirteen years ago this month, my life was turned upside down by the sudden passing of my dad. Not only did my family lose a beloved father and grandfather, but his death left my mother, suffering with dementia, without her caregiver. When we moved Mom to be near me, I became acutely aware how our family depended on minimum wage earners for so much essential work. I committed to seeing a self-sustaining wage so that all workers can afford to live in the communities where they contribute so much.
If you are reading this editorial, odds are you supported our 2019 campaign to raise the minimum wage in Colorado. The measure passed by a landslide here in Boulder County! But we in Boulder County have yet to see that measure fully enacted. It enables local areas to set wages that reflect their own market and cost of living. Denver has taken care of this already. We are catching up - the Boulder County Consortium of Cities is in the process of setting a local minimum wage to start next year.
To ensure that the wage level set will provide self-sufficiency for all workers, a broad group of workers, community members and advocates have come together as the Boulder County Self-Sufficiency Wage Coalition. I got involved as part of the Boulder County group of Together Colorado, a nonpartisan, multi-racial and multi-faith community organization. Our many faith traditions share commitment to justice, community, and inherent dignity and worth of all. Organizing for just and adequate compensation for all of our neighbors - regardless of their background or profession - is a way we are putting our faith into action.
During my mother’s final years, we wished to provide her with good care. But even in quality senior residences, I experienced how high turnover of minimum wage workers caused pain to my mom. With her dementia, it was debilitating to have to relate to a constant flow of unfamiliar faces of housekeepers and meal servers. This confusion contributed to her downward spiral into memory loss. For me, the high turnover made it hard to track what was going on with Mom from day to day.
The workers I interacted with, who meant so much in my mom’s life, are struggling to keep up with their own families’ demands of essentials like housing, childcare and food. They are earning the statewide minimum of $13.65, which I confirmed is the starting wage for key jobs in these facilities. This income fails to match the high cost of living in our area, and doesn’t recognize the high demands of these jobs. Working people and caretakers are the backbone of our communities, and we all lose when they are forced to make the difficult decision to leave their job because they are not being fairly compensated.
Raising the minimum wage isn’t just beneficial to workers but also good for employers. When workers have a stable income, they are less likely to switch jobs frequently. That would save businesses costs of recruiting and training new employees. Better-paid employees tend to be more motivated, leading to higher productivity and better job performance.
And that would be good for the people they serve, like me and my mom.
In April, our coalition introduced a proposal to raise the regional wage based on the Self Sufficiency Standard for Boulder County, with data from the Center for Law and Policy. The proposal kicks off at a wage increase of $15.41 in 2024 and gradually phases into the self-sufficiency wage of $25 in 2028. This evidence-backed number means the freedom for all workers to earn a fair wage, to retire with dignity, and provide for their families.
We are eager to see a wage that represents the reality behind what it takes to make ends meet. County and city leaders need to hear from all of us that this is an important issue for the entire community. Please join me in letting the County Commissioners and the mayor of your town know that you support an increase in the minimum wage starting in 2024.
Kathy Partridge
