Volunteers for the Madison Fair Wage Campaign gathered Friday by the Madison Municipal Building, 215 Martin Luther King Blvd., to declare victory. In 60 days, the campaign collected more than 13,000 signatures in support of raising the minimum wage, the most gathered in a Madison campaign in more than a decade.
The campaign is pushing to raise the minimum wage to $7.75 per hour, and $3.88 per hour for tipped employees.
A steering committee voted to change the initial agenda to put the issue on the April ballot and use the signatures instead in support of Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's minimum wage ordinance proposal. Cieslewicz's ordinance must gain approval by the City Council rather than by referendum.
The mayor's ordinance draws out a detailed plan to raise the minimum wage to correspond with Madison's cost of living. It includes exceptions and punishment for violation of the prescribed minimum wage.
The steering committee's change in plan comes despite the fact volunteers only needed 12,854 signatures to gain ballot eligibility as a referendum. Many people signed the petition under the pretense the issue would be placed on the April ballot.
\As I was collecting signatures I was expecting and telling supports that this would be going on the April ballot, and I hope that our change of agenda will not change any of the supporters' minds,"" said UW-Madison junior Grace Helms, a campaign volunteer.
The campaign voted to place a limit on how long the city council has to make a decision before further action is taken. If by June 1, 2004 a new minimum wage has not been enacted, the campaign plans to recollect signatures and place the issue on the November 2004 ballot.
""We are giving the council this opportunity to do right by the people's wishes, but if they fail to heed the will of their constituents we will put this back on the ballot and we will win again,"" said state Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, campaign co-chair.
The campaign relied on volunteers to collect signatures. Many of the volunteers were UW students, from student groups such as Associated Students of Madison and the Poverty Action Network.
""I think this is an important issue for poor people, and also a workers' justice issue. If you work for a living, you should be able to afford an apartment and to support yourself,"" said UW-Madison junior Kim Lampereur, a research intern for the campaign.
""A lot of students might also be affected by this and it will help them keep up with the increasing cost of tuition,"" she added.
