DOWNEY – Most of Downey’s six city council candidates support a proposed minimum wage increase for healthcare workers that is likely headed for November’s ballot.

The city council voted 4-0 in July to approve a $25 minimum wage for eligible workers in Downey’s private hospitals and healthcare facilities and clinics outright, opting to bypass voters.

Critics of the move responded, however, filing a referendum petition in August and effectively stopping the ordinance until the council decides to either repeal it or submit it to voters.

Though that official decision has not been made yet, councilmen Donald LaPlante and Mario Trujillo have both already indicated that they intend to let voters decide.

District 2 (southwest Downey)

In District 2, both Anthony Felix and Art Montoya voiced support for the potential ballot item.

“Personally speaking, I’ve got family in the healthcare industry,” said Montoya. “These past few years of the pandemic, everyone has kind of seen – whether you have a family member, or loved one or not – we’ve seen how crunched the healthcare system and the industry has been; people overworked, people burning out, people leaving the industry so those who are staying are definitely feeling the stress.

“Regardless of all that, I believe that healthcare workers should be paid a respectable living wage, and I’m supportive of it.”

Felix described the council’s initial vote to approve the minimum wage as “progressive and a good thing,” but said that it did not do enough to “address the need for minimum wage across the board.”

“The measure as it stands is good faith, again, but it is not equitable,” said Felix. “It impacts a lot of folks who work in the industry and will not gain this benefit.”

“I do believe that this policy needs to be furthered to allow for inclusivity for all service-level hospital workers at this point.”

Hector Sosa stopped short of saying whether he supported a minium wage increase for healthcare workers, suggesting that he’d want to see a financial impact report first.

“I think we all want people to earn a fair wage, however I don’t think that’s something that should be decided by a local city government,” Sosa said. “I think it should be put on the ballot, and let the voters decide. If the voters decide that, the voters have spoken.

“But again, it shouldn’t be decided by local city council.”

District 4 (northeast Downey)

Incumbent Councilwoman Claudia M. Frometa, of District 4, was critical of the measure.

“I believe every American worker deserves to earn a fair living wage. Certainly, the last two and a half years have been exceptionally taxing for the healthcare workforce,” Frometa said. “Having said that, I believe the issue of wages and wage increases must be left to the bargaining unions and their employers.

“The moment local governments and councils start interfering and/or meddling with the bargaining process by passing ordinances dictating a certain wage, we are circumventing a process in place for decades. That is not our place.

“I respect and admire the work that labor unions have done and continue to do on behalf of every labor worker; it is not my place as a council member to dictate the minimum wage of our Downey’s workforce. I will leave it to the bargaining unions and their respective employer. Furthermore, in this case for Downey, the voters will decide, keeping in mind this minimum wage for healthcare workers does not apply to all.”

Frometa was forced to recuse herself from the city council’s original vote on the matter due to her employment with Kaiser Permanente.

Her opponents, Joaquin Beltran and Juan Martinez, both support the wage minimum.

“Setting a minimum wage demonstrates that we value all healthcare workers for their sacrifices and contributions caring for our families during the COVID-19 pandemic, and for their importance in keeping our healthcare system strong,” said Martinez. “My hopes are that we can help raise wages for all healthcare workers by incentivizing non-private sector hospitals to raise wages to be competitive against unlikely lower-risk competitors who pay comparable wages such as Target, Amazon and Verizon which have been operating without closing any facilities.

“These low-risk environments from disease and stress have been excellent sources for depleting the healthcare workforce of healthcare workers when they see that working at Target or Amazon can meet their financial and health risk needs better than the healthcare industries can. With an already impacted and understaffed and overworked healthcare labor force, we cannot afford to continue to lose healthcare workers; such a continuing trend would only devastate the well-being of our community and the overall health of our city.”

Beltran said that “so many in our community are struggling tremendously.”

“During the pandemic, many healthcare workers have tragically died, many are experiencing long-Covid from actually being on the front lines,” said Beltran.

“I think $25 as a minimum wage is something we should all get behind for our healthcare workers, and make sure that they have the resources in order to live well and continue doing the important work that the community needs in the healthcare system.”