"San Francisco Deserves A Raise!"
CPA Fights to Raise Minimum Wage

by Eric Shih
10/26/03

On November 4th, voters in San Francisco will have the opportunity to give much-needed support to low-wage working families by passing Proposition L, the minimum wage ballot initiative. The Chinese Progressive association (CPA), in coalition with community and labor organizations across the city, is fighting to raise the minimum wage in San Francisco from the statewide $6.75 an hour to a local $8.50. In addition to phone banks running three times a week, CPA recently organized fifty garment workers and residents in a march through Chinatown.

Over the past four months, the "San Francisco Deserves a Raise" campaign has been gaining incredible momentum and support from a broad range of San Franciscans. In early July, the coalition collected petition signatures in order to get the initiative on the November 4th ballot. The petition drive was incredibly successful, gathering over 26,000 signatures in less than two weeks. The initial enthusiasm for "Prop L" has only grown since with the increasing efforts of the coalition to outreach and educate voters on the importance of raising the minimum wage, and recent polls show a clear majority in favor of the proposition.

Prop L 2: Reaching Poverty

photo from Prop L website