New Working Californians Poll: Living Wage referendum would be ‘virtually certain to pass’

By 74%-23%, L.A. voters support Living Wage law that big business lobby wants to overturn in $3M special election

Voters’ strongest concern is that existing law isn’t broad enough

Los Angeles – Working Californians – the strategic research and advocacy group focusing on quality-of-life issues for working men and women in Los Angeles and California – today released the results of a poll of likely Los Angeles voters that demonstrates wide and deep support for the limited Living Wage law enacted last year by the Los Angeles City Council and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa – and tremendous potential support for a much broader, citywide Living Wage.

“The data is loud and clear: Los Angeles voters overwhelmingly support the Living Wage,” said Brian D’Arcy, Co-chair of Working Californians. “If big business lobbyists insist on trying to roll back the Living Wage law, then they’ll just be wasting $3 million in taxpayer money – and they’ll lose.”

The new Working Californians poll found wide and deep support – across income levels and political, geographic, ethnic and racial sub-groups in Los Angeles – for the existing, limited Living Wage law, which requires airport-area hotels to pay service employees at least $9.30/hour plus contribute at least $1.25/hour to their health care coverage. Business lobbyists are trying to overturn it by forcing a special election this May, at a potential cost to taxpayers of some $3 million.

Specifically, the Working Californians poll found the following:

• When read a description of the Living Wage law, 74 percent of likely L.A. voters supported it, while only 23 percent opposed it, and just 3 percent were undecided.
• A majority of likely voters (51 percent) would definitely support the existing Living Wage law, while only a very small minority (14 percent) would definitely oppose it.
• After hearing arguments from both sides, support held strong at 69 percent, while opposition increased only slightly, to 27 percent.
• The strongest argument against the existing Living Wage law is that it is not broad enough. In fact, likely voters strongly support all of the law’s individual provisions – except for the fact that it is limited to just hotels near LAX.

“This is a slam dunk,” said Marvin Kropke, Co-Chair of Working Californians. “L.A. voters strongly believe that people who work hard every day deserve a Living Wage and health care. And they think the Living Wage law should apply to all workers – not just at hotels near LAX.”

“If a Living Wage Initiative is on the ballot in Los Angeles this spring, it is virtually certain to pass,” said nationally recognized pollster Diane Feldman, who conducted the survey and analyzed the data. Support for the initiative cuts across nearly every demographic and political subgroup, she noted. “By geography, the vote is highest in the South, with 82 percent support, but remains strong in the San Fernando Valley with 68 percent support to 30 percent opposition. The Living Wage Initiative garners the support 66 percent of Anglo voters, 86 percent of African Americans and 89 percent of Latino voters.”

The poll was conducted for Working Californians by the Feldman Group of Washington, D.C., between January 18 and January 24, 2007. The poll of 800 likely voters has a margin of error of 3.5%.

The pollster’s memo, which provides additional data and analysis, is available at www.WorkingCalifornians.com.
About Working Californians

Working Californians is a strategic research and public advocacy group promoting the interests of working people in public policy debates in California, particularly in the Los Angeles area. Focusing especially on quality-of-life issues, Working Californians conducts and analyzes strategic research and directs public education, advocacy and political campaigns. The Co-Chairs of Working Californians are Brian D’Arcy of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18, and Marvin Kropke of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 11. For more information, please visit www.WorkingCalifornians.com.

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