"This company is one of the richest companies in the world, and the wage increases that they're offering simply just don't keep up with the economy and the high cost of living," says Kim Cordova, president of the union that represents JBS workers in Greeley.
Almost half a million workers are to receive a pay boost after it was announced that the real living wage paid voluntarily by 16,000 UK companies will rise to 13.45 an hour in April. Distinct from the national living wage, which is a statutory minimum, the real living wage is calculated each year based on the cost of essentials, and is paid by more than half of the companies in the FTSE 100.
"The sense that we got was because of the amount of time it took to get to this point, some folks were just either frustrated or they were just tired and wanted to move on," said Raj Singh.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen announced 'the only real issue was wages,' which led to an agreement to boost pay for engineers without significant budget impacts.
"Two hotels have closed. More are starting to reduce services and lay off workers," Rosanna Maietta, president and chief executive of the American Hotel and Lodging Assn., said at City Hall last week. "If this ordinance is enacted, we expect more hotels to close."
