SAN JOSE, Calif. -– San Jose City Council members have directed city staff to investigate the potential impact of imposing "living wage" requirements on rental car companies serving Mineta San Jose International Airport.
The study will determine whether other airports that already have living-wage requirements, including San Francisco and Oakland, take measures to help soften the financial impact to rental car companies. San Jose's city staff is scheduled to report on its findings on May 3, according to the Mercury News.
City Council members on March 29 passed a motion expressing their commitment to a living wage for workers employed by companies under contract to the city.
In early March, the local Airport Commission advised the Council to require car rental companies to pay all their employees a living wage of at least $10.72 an hour with health benefits and $11.97 per hour without benefits, the Mercury News reported. If adopted, such a requirement would provide a sizable raise to many of the rental companies' drivers. A number of the airport's private contractors are already required to adhere to city "living wage" or "prevailing wage" requirements.
