Group Calls For Mpls. To Drop Appeal Against Minimum Wage Case
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A group of Minneapolis residents are asking the city of Minneapolis to drop an appeal to keep minimum wage off the Nov. 8 ballot.
Earlier this year, the group "15 Now" collected 20,000 signatures on a petition calling for minimum wage to be raised to $15 an hour in Minneapolis.
The petition was brought before the Minneapolis City Council and was denied.
The group then filed a lawsuit.
Last week, a Hennepin County judge ruled that the measure should go to a city-wide vote.
The city appealed this ruling.
On Tuesday the case went to the Minnesota Supreme Court, where justices heard arguments from both sides.
There has been no decision yet from the Supreme Court, but workers who make $9.50 an hour don't want to wait. They're asking Minneapolis City Council to withdraw its appeal and put the issue on the November ballot for voters to decide.
Dozens of people with the group's 15 Now Minnesota and Neighborhoods Organizing for Change, rallied outside of Minneapolis City Hall. Then, they took their message into the Committee of the Whole meeting.
The workers actually started the meeting with chants, demanding more money an hour.
After council members failed to take action and withdraw the pending appeal, they stormed out and took their action to Mayor Betsy Hodge's office.
But, still, no action or changes.
The workers said they just want to make enough money to survive.
"We're here today asking the city council and the mayor of Minneapolis to drop the appeal. Because it's not an appeal against a legal argument, this is an appeal against the people of Minneapolis. The city is suing its citizens to keep them in poverty," Rod Adams, with Neighborhoods Organizing for Change, said. "If you're not mad, I say you get mad right now."
The Minnesota Supreme Court usually hands down its decision within 90 days, but a decision could come as early as Wednesday or by the end of the week.
Minneapolis elections officials said the latest they can wait is this Friday because they need to get ballots ready for absentee voting, which begins Sept. 23.