San Francisco Values: The New Social Compact

Abstract

Over the last 12 years there has been a significant transformation of basic labor standards in San Francisco. A series of city policies have raised wages and expanded health care access and paid sick leave for ten of thousands of San Francisco workers. The earliest of these policies set minimum labor standards for firms doing business with the City and County of San Francisco. A second set of policies covered all firms operating within the geographical boundaries of the city. Over the same period, the city established new programs requiring card-check procedures at hotels and restaurants where the city has a proprietary interest, established a local earned income tax credit, and created a universal health access program for local residents. While modest by European standards, these policies represent a bold experiment in American industrial relations that can provide important lessons for the rest of the country.