Chairman Monestime’s amendment to living wage ordinance adopted by the board

MIAMI – Potentially thousands of people working for County contractors with employer-provided health insurance will enjoy an increase in the quality of their health insurance thanks to legislation sponsored by Chairman Jean Monestime that was adopted at the April 5 County Commission meeting.

“For the past 17 years, the Living Wage ordinance has made a tremendous difference in the lives of those who sweep our floors, secure our buildings, landscape our grounds, clean the aircrafts at Miami International Airport, and prepare food for our inmates,” Chairman Monestime said. “Today, we are making a change to give these workers access to better medical care.”

The Commission approved Chairman’s Monestime Living Wage ordinance amendment to increase the health benefit differential used to calculate the County’s Living Wage from $1.83 per hour to $2.89 per hour. The change, which is designed to keep up with the actual cost of health insurance, means County employees and contract workers who don’t receive health insurance from their employer will make a minimum of $15.52 per hour instead of $14.46 beginning Oct. 1, 2017, and those with health insurance benefits will be able to enjoy a higher level of health insurance.

The base Living Wage, paid to workers who receive employer-provided health insurance, is currently set at $12.63 and is indexed for inflation.

In a 2014 health benefit survey, the Kaiser Family Foundation determined that the average annual premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance are $6,025 for single coverage. Assuming a 40 hour work week, this translates to a minimum of $2.89 per hour for a health benefit plan.

To view the April 5 Commission meeting, visit: http://bit.ly/208xbzf