The U.S. Supreme Court has handed a victory to low-wage workers. It refused to hear an appeal of a San Francisco U.S. Court decision upholding Berkeley, California's living wage ordinance. Skates on The Bay, a non-union waterfront restaurant in Berkeley¹s marina had challenged an extension of the law. Berkeley City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque (Albu-kirk) says this is important for other cities around the nation that want to enact similar living wage ordinances.

[Manuela Albuquerque 1]: "The ninth circuit decision which the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear was a very thoughtful, scholarly opinion and it established that social welfare legislation of this sort is to be treated with a great deal of deference in the courts."

The U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco said in its ruling that the city was entitled to extend its living wage ordinance to a particular area to ensure decent living standards for workers. Albuquerque says that¹s a win for workers.

[Albuquerque]: "Oh Absolutely, because it¹s protected labor legislation that we enacted for the benefit of workers."

More than 100 cities nationwide now have living wage ordinances.