Charter-amendment initiative would require employers to give part-time workers increased rights

YOUNGSTOWN

A Grand Rapids, Mich., businessman is funding a charter-amendment initiative in Youngstown to require employers to give part-time workers increased rights such as health care benefits and equal hourly wages as full-timers.

The goal of the proposal is to not only increase the rights of part-timers in the city, but also to get women – particularly lower to middle class – to vote in the general election, said Bob Goodrich, executive director of the Youngstown Part-Time Workers Bill of Rights Committee.

Goodrich said he chose Youngstown for the initiative because it’s in Ohio, a key presidential swing state, and the number of valid signatures wasn’t difficult to obtain. He will also target Cleveland with a similar initiative for the November ballot.

In Youngstown, the charter requires at least three percent of the total votes in the last general election. That would be 378 valid signatures.

Goodrich turned in petitions to the city clerk today with 3,935 signatures. The number of valid signatures will ultimately be determined by the Mahoning County Board of Elections.

For the complete story, read Wednesday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com