Mayor Kenney Signs Controversial Wage Bill
by Pat Loeb
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney has angered the business community, signing a bill on Monday that prohibits employers from asking about a job applicant's wage history.
The Chamber of Commerce predicts it will hurt job growth and business recruitment.
READ: Rift Between City Government And Business Community Opens For Unexpected Reason
The bill is intended to correct past income discrimination against women and other vulnerable groups by seeking to eliminate its impact on salary offers.
But Chamber officials call it "the straw that broke the camel's back," coming after seven tax increases in nine years, and 10 other bills it considers restrictive, including wage theft protections, mandatory sick leave, and "ban the box" laws, that bar asking applicants about prior incarceration.
The Chamber says there's no evidence the new law will aid wage equity but it is discouraging new business.
Mayor Kenney released a statement saying it needn't be "either/or."
"What's good for the people of Philadelphia is good for business too," he says.
An attorney for Comcast had promised a legal challenge. The mayor says he's confident the law would survive.
