Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego says 'workers deserve a living wage,' then kills law to do that

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego says she supports paying workers living wages, but her actions indicate otherwise.

The City Council on Wednesday voted 6-3 to repeal a new ordinance that required the city to pay construction workers prevailing wages, or the rate contractors and vendors must offer employees working on government-funded projects.

“Workers deserve a living wage – and we can deliver that through a robust, public process that doesn’t put the city in legal and financial jeopardy,” Gallego tweeted shortly after voting for the repeal.

Killing the ordinance less than a month after it was approved was a telling moment for the mayor and her newfound power. Residents should expect more of the same in the foreseeable future under her leadership.

Gallego has a firm grip on the council

As I previously outlined, Gallego now has a firm grip on the council with newcomers Kesha Hodge Washington and Kevin Robinson, whom she supported. Predictably, they voted with her to kill the ordinance.

Of the progressives who pushed for the wage ordinance, only three are left on the council – Laura Pastor, Betty Guardado and Yassamin Ansari.

Ansari is running for Congress and is expected to resign her council seat at some point in 2024. Pastor is also considering a congressional bid.

That means Gallego could potentially handpick two additional allies.

Names mentioned include former state lawmakers César Chávez and Robert Meza – two moderates who often riled progressive colleagues at the Legislature because of their willingness to work with Republicans.

Should that be the case, Gallego would have free rein to do whatever she wants at City Hall.

She touted a prevailing wage, but then ...

It is best, then, to look at her actions – not merely her words.

And that takes us back to what she says versus her actions about paying workers more.

“I believe in doing things the right way, not the fast way, and that’s what we decided to do today,” Gallego said, further explaining her vote to repeal the prevailing wage ordinance.

The right way, not the fast way?

The mayor took office in March 2019 after defeating Daniel Valenzuela in a special runoff election.

During the campaign, she posed with union workers who helped her get elected, in part, because she said she supported prevailing wages.

Instead, Gallego has done everything in her power to undermine efforts by progressive fellow council members to pass the prevailing wage ordinance.

Mayor had time to do it 'the right way'

Why did the mayor change her mind? We don’t know. But we do know that she has had plenty of time to do it “the right way” had she wanted to.

Gallego argued the ordinance wouldn’t stand a legal challenge, and that’s also why she voted “with a majority of council to direct city staff to find legally viable ways to increase wages on city projects.”

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Again, why didn’t she lead the effort to direct city staff to do that from the get-go?

“I am optimistic that we will find a path forward for better pay for construction workers while, at the same time, put sound policy on the books that survives legal challenges,” she added.

Is anyone buying that? Not a chance.

Why not let the attorney general decide?

Gallego’s concerns over the legality of the ordinance may have been valid.

State law prohibits cities from imposing prevailing wages. She also may have worried about the estimated $93 million hit to city coffers.

But state Sen. Catherine Miranda had asked the attorney general to look into the legality of the prevailing wage ordinance, an action the mayor and her allies twisted to illustrate the perilous legal path.

Miranda told The Arizona Republic’s Taylor Seely she never thought the ordinance was illegal.

“The mayor and others on the council have hid for a number of years behind the idea that it might be illegal,” Miranda said. “We now had an opportunity to let the attorney general decide.”

Good point. Why not keep the ordinance and let the attorney general decide?

Gallego wants it both ways. We deserve better

Gallego is trying to have it both ways. She says she believes “workers deserve a living wage,” then kills the law that would do that.

Workers deserve better. Voters deserve better.

Phoenix residents deserve politicians who keep their word, or who at least can explain why they had a change of heart – not just give us double talk.

Phoenix residents should pay close attention to what the mayor does, not what she says.

Elvia Díaz is editorial page editor for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Reach her at 602-444-8606 or elvia.diaz@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter, @elviadiaz1. 

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix repeals its prevailing wage. What will the mayor do next?