WJW Staff

On Tuesday ‹ the very day that Jews United for Justice and other groups held their press conference/rally in the District to publicize the campaign for a living wage ‹ the D.C. Council's Committee on Government Operations approved the living wage bill and sent it to the Council for action next month.

The bill contains provisions for an hourly minimum wage of $11.75 for some workers; it is indexed annually to inflation up to 3 percent; includes most part-time workers; and can be enforced by private citizens, said Avi Rosenblit, director of JUFJ.

"They [those provisions] were not in the bill when it started, and we got them all today," he said.

Earlier that day, some 40 people had attended the rally, Rosenblit said.

One of the speakers was Rabbi Robert Saks, spiritual leader of Bet Mishpachah in the District and associate rabbi at the Columbia Jewish Congregation.

According to his written speech, Saks said he recognized that paying a living wage will constitute a burden on businesses and community institutions.

However, the rabbi said it is better that they carry the financial burden rather than have it borne "by the poorest among us who can barely survive on the inadequate wages they now receive."

Saks asked lawmakers to challenge citizens "to be compassionate, decent and humane."

He continued: "We don't need Wal-Mart logic running the city, we need the Bible's logic that tells us over and over again to stand up for the poor and the weakest among us ‹ that reminds us that God listens with special attention to the poor when they cry out."

In addition to JUFJ, other major co-sponsors of the rally were ACORN, DC Jobs with Justice, DC Employment Justice Center and DC Fiscal Policy Institute.