Strongman Emanuel prods sister agencies to mandate $13-an-hour minimum wage

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

Four weeks ago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel signed an executive order requiring city contractors and subcontractors to increase the “living wage” paid to their employees by nearly 9 percent — from $11.93 to $13 an hour.

Now, Emanuel is pressuring all local government agencies under his control — CTA, CHA, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Park District, City Colleges and Public Building Commission — to follow his lead.

That would mean a pay raise for roughly 2,400 contract employees working as custodians, landscapers and bus drivers.

“The mayor is using every tool in the tool box to help move the city toward $13 an hour. The more we can do to boost the wages of working people in Chicago, the better off all of us are,” said Ald. Will Burns (4th), who co-chaired the mayor’s minimum wage task force.

Just a reminder: minimum wages increases haven't worked in Chicago. There are less people working in Chicago than 15 years ago when the minimum wage was lower. The demand for labor is a downward sloping curve even for people who believe they can run the "commanding heights" of the economy by setting wages. No word yet on what other parts of the workplace Strongman Rahm Emanuel wants to run.