Labor Ballot Measure Roundup

Voters around the country faced numerous ballot measures yesterday, of which many involved labor policy. Below is a roundup of the results.

New Jersey: voters in the Garden state approved a constitutional amendment that raises the minimum wage to $8.25, a $1 increase. Additionally, the ballot measure calls for an annual automatic increase to the minimum wage based on cost of living changes.

SeaTac (suburb outside of Seattle, Washington): it looks likely that workers, at least the ones that keep their jobs, at the Sea-Tac Airport are getting a big raise. So far, the ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour is leading 54% to 46%. Although, it is important to note that employers in the SeaTac area whose workers are represented by a union are exempt from the new minimum wage standard.

Cincinnati: residents rejected the pension reform initiative that would have eliminated the city’s defined-benefit pension plan and replaced it with a defined-contribution/401(k) style plan. With only one precinct yet to report its vote results, only 21.7% voted yes for the pension reform. Currently, Cincinnati’s pension system is underfunded by nearly $870 million.

Colorado: Last year, the Douglas County school board voted to sever ties with the local teachers union by ending both collective bargaining and paying teachers union bosses who only perform union activities with tax dollars. Yesterday, four of the DCSB members–Doug Benevento, Meghann Silverthorn, Jim Geddes, and Judith Reynolds–responsible for the good government reform measures won their reelection campaigns.