Somerville Alderman Favor Income Inequality Legislation

The Somerville Board of Aldermen has voiced its support in come inequality legislation.

This week, they unanimously voted in support of for four state legislative proposals to address the growing issue of income inequality.

Good Jobs Somerville, a coalition of local labor and community activists, collected close to 200 signatures calling for the aldermen to hold the session, which the group believes to be the first municipal hearing in the state on income inequality.

The coalition proposed several measures, including establishing a $15 minimum wage for fast-food and big-box store workers, mandating paid family and medical leave, eliminating the practice of paying tipped employees below minimum wage, and a constitutional amendment imposing a higher tax on income over $1 million to raise money for education and transportation.

Rand Wilson, a Good Jobs Somerville activist, said in a statement that he is calling on city leaders to enact the reforms to “make sure the wealth we create stays in our community and goes to where it’s most needed — Somerville’s hard-working families.”