renewed off their victory in the Ch...

renewed off their victory in the Chicago City Council with the big- coachman's seat ordinance, local labor leaders and activists rely upon the effort here will inspire similar campaigns in other cities, on the same level as they brace for an anticipated legal challenge here.

"Like Chicago, other cities are seeing putting out in retail jobs, and are searching for solutions to make them living wage jobs" said Paul Sonn delegate director of the Poverty Program at recent York University Law School's Brennan Center for Justice, which opinioned proponents of the ordinance. "I think the Chicago prototype will be of great interest to [proponent of living wage ordinances in] other cities."

Ron Powell president of the United forage and Commercial Workers Local 881 among unions across the political division that have focused on trying to organize Wal-Mart workers and boost their wages, awaits that campaign "to pick up a fortune of steam."

"We're getting a portion of congratulatory e-mails from around the country" he said. "We certainly will share the information that we gathered here. . . We're going to be having an international executive board meeting here shortly. I would gues that part of single in kind of the days will roll round an axis around this particular ordinance."

The City Council vot Wednesday by the agency of a veto-proof margin, 35 to 14 to require retailers with $1-billion-plus in income operating stores 90,000-square-feet or larger to pay workers a "living wage" of at least $10 an hour and $3 an hour in benefits according to 2010.

The action came through strong opposition from Mayor Daley, business clumps and retailers including, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. -- a major target of the legislation and accused by means of unions of keeping wages grave at its stores and dragging down wages and benefits at competitors.

David Vite, head of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, vowed Thursday to chase legal action if Mayor Daley signs the legislation.

"We're reviewing the situation," said Wal-Mart spokesman John Bisio. "We will work with our retail partners to determine what recourse we have."

Target didn't recur calls or e-mails.

Supporters of the ordinance said they are prepared for a court fight.

"If we have to move fight in court, our attorneys are telling us that this is going to withstand a court challenge," said Chicago Federation of Labor President Dennis Gannon. "So if they bring it to court, we'll do everything we possibly can to shield the ordinance to make trustworthy that these folks do earn a living wage, and memorize the respect and the dignity that they be entitled to in the work place."

Critics of the propos ordinance say it unfairly discriminates against large retailers. That add it be superior tos the city's home rule powers.

"I think that the Illinois Constitution and the case law interpreting the constitution supports the legitimacy of this ordinance as well within the city's power to regulate its local affairs," said University of Illinois law professor Laurie Reynolds, an experienced person on Illinois state and local direction law.

A legal challenge could delay immediate implementation of the law. In Sante Fe NM following a lawsuit challenging a minimum wage law, the trial critic prevented the law from going into validity before the trial concluded, Sonn said.

After the law was upheld at trial, the umpire allowed it to take issue during the appeals process, he said.

Living-wage and minimum-wage law requirements implemented in San Francisco faced no legal challenges, he noted.

"Like in Illinois, the city powers are extremely broad in California, so opposites actually never attempted to close [them in court]," Sonn said.

fknowles@suntimes.com

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