Arlington Heights missed chance to support living wage

Arlington Heights Village President Tom Hayes and Trustees Tinaglia, Rosenberg, Scaletta and Glasgow voted to opt out of a Cook County ordinance that would have raised the minimum wage from $8.25/hour to $10/hour by July 1.

The board also opted out of the ordinance mandating businesses allow up to five sick days per year.

The Arlington Chamber of Commerce and its subsidiary, the Village Economic Alliance Commission, argued to opt out against an overwhelming majority of supporters of the higher minimum wage at village board meetings.

Then, in an attempt to have it both ways, Trustee Tinaglia and the Chamber of Commerce hosted a jobs and career tent at the Taste to "promote living wage jobs and entry level jobs available in Arlington Heights."

Of course many of these "great opportunities," as described by Trustee Tinaglia, were for minimum wage at $8.25/hour.

It is doubtful that the Chamber of Commerce and Trustee Tinaglia are really concerned about living wage jobs or they would have supported an increase in the minimum wage in the first place. Then all entry level jobs, that were promoted at their career tent, would have started at $10/hour instead of $8.25/hour.

Keith Moens

Arlington Heights