Always the most repeated and appreciated blessing we hear at local Thanksgiving tables is how we live among so many generous and gratitude-filled people and communities, even as Sonoma County has not been without tragedy, unmet needs and disputes. We’ve endured historic wildfires, loss of life, rising homelessness and new uncertainties. Yet, we remain #SonomaStrong, hopeful, faithful and determined. Witness how many of us today are on the giving side of the Thanksgiving free food lines and community dinners. Let’s remember that “mixed blessings” are still blessings.
We’re blessed to be able to gather together for another Thanksgiving holiday, to rest, worship and share. But when we look around our community, we see others who cannot share this holiday and who must work their regular work hours or even do overtime.
Sonoma County, like many other parts of California and America, is a place with nagging inequities. Here, one in five family households are counted as the “working poor.” Almost half our Latino households (40 percent) are measured as low wage earners. For these neighbors of ours, a holiday means take the extra work if you can find it. Based on U.S. Census labor statistics, these Sonoma County workers earn an average of $13.63 per hour, two-thirds below our county’s overall median income level.
Our low-wage workers will continue to fall farther below a living wage standard unless some public policies and industry practices are changed. The recent wildfires have made the local cost of housing even more out of reach to even more families. Building new housing will be expensive. One big way to make affordable housing more attainable is to increase worker wages.
California voters approved raising the current minimum wage of $10.50 to $15 by year 2023. The North Bay Jobs with Justice activist group is now pushing to make that timeline shorter, so the $15 minimum is in place here by 2020.
This week, the group took its appeal to the City of Sebastopol and is seeking new minimum wage laws there and in Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Petaluma and Novato. The proposal would impact government jobs and employers with 50 or more employees.
Sonoma County’s working poor tend to be younger, female, Latino and less educated. But the local wage inequities hit all segments of our communities, especially those working in our retail, service and hospitality industries.
Wages among rank-and-file workers in Sonoma County have remained virtually flat for the last 50 years when inflation is factored in, while housing rental costs have risen 25 percent over the last 15 years.
Sonoma County’s working poor impact all of us in many ways. One-fourth of the county’s population is below the federal poverty line. Our lowest paid workers need free school lunches, food stamps, Medi-Cal and rent and housing subsidies. The cost of government assistance last year in California in these categories totaled $14.3 billion, according to the U.C. Berkeley Labor Center.
We should aim to be a community where all families can have a proper Thanksgiving holiday. All work should come with dignity and self-esteem and that should include support for childcare, paid time-off and social programs.
Better paying jobs are good for employers, too. Increased minimum wages would reduce employment turnover and recruitment costs. Money for education and training are always smart investments.
At our Thanksgiving tables, we hear how fortunate and forward thinking we are here. We share the very best of locally grown foods in beautiful settings. Conversations are more illuminating than fiery — more about favorite pumpkin pies than climate change and other so-called hoaxes.
So, we hope we are not being too rude to have brought up the topic of who did not get a piece of pie or extra gravy again this year. It’s just that we know we can make our tables bigger.
Rollie Atkinson is the publisher of Sonoma West Times & News, The Healdsburg Tribune, The Windsor Times and Cloverdale Reveille.
