More than 1,000 Providence Voters Call for Hotel Worker Min. Wage
GoLocalProv Business Team
More than 1,000 Providence Voters Call for Hotel Worker Min. Wage
The hotel workers and allies will submit more than 1,000 signatures they gathered in just over one week to the Providence City Clerk’s Office in support of the hotel worker minimum wage, the required amount to bring the ordinance to the Providence City Council.
Hotel workers and community activists have canvassed Providence neighborhoods to collect signatures for the proposed ordinance, receiving an overwhelmingly positive response. With upwards of 1,000 hotel workers in Providence, the raised minimum wage would lift up Providence neighborhoods citywide, providing workers money that can be spent in local businesses and invested in their homes.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTSanta, a housekeeper at the Renaissance Hotel, said, “Right now I live paycheck to paycheck and can barely afford the bare necessities. With this new minimum wage, I will be able to shop and support small business in my neighborhood. No one on my block has any disposable income right now, so we suffer just like the business owners in our community.”
Based on an average of Providence hotel housekeeper’s wages, the raised minimum wage would amount to a mere $1.85 per room cleaned. Yilenny Ferraras, a housekeeper at the Hilton said this would be a small price to pay to lift up entire Providence communities. “We work very hard for billionaire corporations who pay us incredibly little. If I received just a dollar and change more per room, my whole life and my whole neighborhood would change for the better.”
The City of Providence must validate the signatures upon their submission, after which the Providence City Council will have seventy days to consider the ordinance. “We hope the City will not delay in bringing this Ordinance to the City Council so that we can consider the ordinance. From talking to hundreds of people in Providence, this is an incredibly important issue for our city that quickly deserves the City’s attention,” explained Southside Councilwoman Carmen Castillo.
The push to raise the hotel worker minimum wage comes amidst a dual crisis in the City of Providence. Local businesses have struggled to sustain themselves amidst the national economic recession, with potential community shoppers wielding less and less dispensable income to spend. Moreover, local workers have launched protests at downtown Providence hotels in the past year, citing abysmal pay and working conditions.
The Top 30 Highest Paid State Contractors in RI
#30
Aetna Bridge Company
Total Amount Paid: $4,925,321.79
Agency: Department of Transportation
Services Provided: Infrastructure and engineering work
#29
Tri-Town Community Action Agency
Total Amount Paid: $5,089,184.90
Agencies: Departments of Education, Health, and Human Services
Services Provided: Social, educational, health, prevention, and other services for low-income residents
#28
Commonwealth Land Title and Insurance Co.
Total Amount Paid: $5,266,256.00
Agency: Department of Transportation
Services Provided: Infrastructure and engineering work
#27
U.S. Bank National Association
Total Amount Paid: $6,005,396.73
Agency: Department of Administration
Services Provided: Debt service payments
#26
Hess Corp.
Total Amount Paid: $6,053,314.22
Agency: Department of Administration
Services Provided: Facilities management
#25
Commonwealth Engineers & Consultants, Inc.
Total Amount Paid: $6,424,070.99
Agency: Department of Transportation
Services Provided: Infrastructure and engineering work
#24
Measured Progress, Inc.
Total Amount Paid: $6,430,828.68
Agency: Department of Education
Services Provided: School testing services
#23
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Total Amount Paid: $6,524,278.36
Agency: Department of Transportation
Services Provided: Infrastructure and engineering work
#22
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp.
Total Amount Paid: $7,302,036.24
Agencies: Office of Health and Human Services
Services Provided: Management of social services programs
#21
Adil Business Systems, Inc.
Total Amount Paid: $7,627,152.65
Agencies: Multiple departments including Corrections, Health, and Public Safety
Services Provided: IT services, temp staffing, health care staffing
#20
Deloitte Consulting, LLP
Total Amount Paid: $9,792,452.99
Agencies: Department of Administration, Office of Health and Human Services, and Department of Business Regulation
Services Provided: Building of a new information technology platform for state health agencies, related to the health benefits exchange
#19
Manafort Brothers, Inc.
Total Amount Paid: $9,883,340.22
Agency: Department of Transportation
Services Provided: Infrastructure and engineering work
#18
Northern Construction Service, LLC
Total Amount Paid: $10,203,522.21
Agency: Department of Transportation
Services Provided: Infrastructure and engineering work
#17
J. H. Lynch & Sons, Inc.
Total Amount Paid: $10,223,421.90
Agencies: Departments of Administration and Transportation
Services Provided: Construction work for capital projects
#16
Morneau & Murphy
Total Amount Paid: $11,437,742.50
Agency: Department of Environmental Management
Services Provided: Bond counsel (legal services)
#15
Wakely Consulting Group
Total Amount Paid: $11,780,595.16
Agency: Office of the Governor
Services Provided: Consulting services on multiple aspects of the new health benefits exchange
#14
Delta Dental of Rhode Island
Total Amount Paid: $11,960,217.65
Agency: Department of Administration
Services Provided: Dental insurance benefits
#13
Newport Grand Jai Alai, LLC
Total Amount Paid: $13,283,588.53
Agency: Department of Revenue
Services Provided: Lottery services
#12
International Game Technology
Total Amount Paid: $13,696,756.41
Agency: Department of Revenue
Services Provided: Lottery services: manufacturer for gaming machines
#11
Wells Fargo Bank NA
Total Amount Paid: $13,850,661.19
Agency: Department of Administration
Services Provided: Debt service payments
#10
Narr. Electric Co./National Grid
Total Amount Paid: $15,613,696.50
Agencies: Multiple departments including Transporation, Administration, Environmental Management, and Public Safety
Services Provided: Electric utility
#9
First Student Inc.
Total Amount Paid: $16,690,458.62
Agency: Department of Education
Services Provided: Busing services for state-run schools
#8
D'Ambra Construction Co., Inc.
Total Amount Paid: $16,883,366.30
Agency: Department of Transportation
Services Provided: Infrastructure and engineering work
#7
Noresco, LLC
Total Amount Paid: $20,198,120.59
Agency: Department of Administration
Services Provided: Facilities management (focusing on energy services)
#6
S & R/Pihl A Joint Venture, LLC
Total Amount Paid: $21,796,515.27
Agency: Department of Transportation
Services Provided: Infrastructure and engineering work
#5
HP Enterprise Services, LLC
Total Amount Paid: $23,038,424.72
Agency: Office of Health and Human Services
Services Provided: Fiscal agent for state Medicaid program
#4
GTECH Corporation
Total Amount Paid: $44,079,461.35
Agency: Department of Revenue
Services Provided: Lottery technology products and services
#3
Cardi Corporation
Total Amount Paid: $52,191,502.81
Agency: Department of Transportation
Services Provided: Infrastructure and engineering work
#2
Bank of New York Trust Company
Total Amount Paid: $93,395,096.54
Agencies: Departments of Administration, Transportation, Public Safety, and the Office of the General Treasurer
Services Provided: Banking services including debt service payments
#1
United Healthcare
Total Amount Paid: $257,263,386
Agency: Department of Administration
Services Provided: Administration of health insurance benefits
Note: Includes total of payments to United Healthcare and its divisions.
