Chapter: Central Kentucky

Central Kentucky KFTC Chapter members are still celebrating a big victory in Lexington. On November 19 the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government voted 9-6 to raise the minimum wage in Fayette County from $7.25 to $10.10 over a period of three years.

The chapter had been working on this issue for nearly a year by lobbying council members, cosponsoring and attending rallies, speaking at council meetings, writing and calling council members, and writing op-eds and letters to the editor, among other strategies.

This victory is significant not only because it will affect an estimated 31,300 workers, according to the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, but also because it makes Lexington the second city in Kentucky and only the third city in the South to raise the minimum wage.

Janet Tucker, a long-time KFTC member, former KFTC chair, and co-chair of the Working Families Campaign is excited about the victory. She first brought the issue of raising the minimum wage to the chapter.

“This was a tremendous victory for thousands of hard-working people in Lexington!”

“This was a tremendous victory for thousands of hard-working people in Lexington!” Tucker said. ”Much thanks goes out to the many people, including KFTC members, who worked on this for months, to Jennifer Messotti who championed this bill, and to Steve Kay and all members of council who voted for this bill. We realize this is not a living wage and there is still much work to be done. The Lexington Working Families Campaign will continue to work equity here in Central Kentucky.”