VOA标准英语2015--Labor Advocates Celebrate Los Angeles Wage Victory
时间：2019-01-14 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2015年(六月)
Labor 1 Advocates Celebrate Los Angeles Wage Victory
LOS ANGELES—
Los Angeles is about to become the largest American city to raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour, an increase to be phased in over five years. The wage is more than twice the current minimum rate required by U.S. law, and its approval will be the latest victory in a national drive by labor unions and low-income workers.
Some business groups, however, say such increases will cost jobs.
Protesters demanding a higher minimum wage have been rallying around the country, from New York to Phoenix 2. Minimum-wage workers went to Los Angeles City Hall last week as council members considered the wage increase. It was given preliminary approval Wednesday and is expected to pass a final vote June 10.
The measure will raise the minimum wage in increments 3 starting next year, to reach $15 an hour by 2020. Workers for small businesses and nonprofit organizations will reach the $15 mark the following year.
McDonald's worker Edgar Gonzalez, a young father, said it would make a difference.
"It will mean a lot," he said. "It will help me out with rent. It will help me out with diapers. It will help me out with having a better life.”
Former Wal-Mart worker Evelyn Cruz said the new wage would keep her from having to make unreasonable 4 choices, such as "if I am going to pay for the roof over my head or food on the table.”
The U.S. Chamber 5 of Commerce and some other business groups said that the measure would put an unfair burden on small businesses and that revising taxes would be a better way to help the poor. But the Los Angeles County Federation 6 of Labor, a trade union coalition 7, said the measure would boost the economy and help workers.
Federation official Rusty 8 Hicks said U.S. cities are stepping in where the federal government has not. “That is why you are seeing L.A., San Francisco, Oakland, New York and others step forward and try to address this issue on their own,” he said.
Business analyst 9 Shon Hiatt of the University of Southern California said companies like McDonald's face stiff competition and slumping 10 sales, and are starting to cut costs, and potentially cut jobs, through automation.
“McDonald's and other fast-food restaurants are moving in this direction," he said. "You will see the emergence 11 of these touchscreens where individuals can order their food without even having to talk with an employee.”
The drive to raise the minimum wage is spreading. Laphonza Butler of the Service Employees International Union said the goal of $15 an hour might be tailored to local economies and be lower in some cities and higher in others.
“The number is an aspiration 12 and a symbol as much as anything," Butler said. "The real goal here is to shift the values of our country back to rewarding hard work.”
As workers savor 13 their victory in Los Angeles, they say the drive to raise the minimum wage across the United States has gained momentum 14.
- We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
- He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。
- The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
- The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。
- These increments were mixed and looked into the 5.56mm catridge case. 将各种药粒进行混和，装在5．56毫米的弹壳中。 来自辞典例句
- The Rankine scale has scale increments equal to the FahrenheIt'scale. 兰氏温标的温度间距与华氏温标的相同。 来自辞典例句
- I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
- They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。
- For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
- The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。
- It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
- Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。
- The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
- Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。
- The lock on the door is rusty and won't open.门上的锁锈住了。
- I haven't practiced my French for months and it's getting rusty.几个月不用，我的法语又荒疏了。
- What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
- The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。
- Hong Kong's slumping economy also caused a rise in bankruptcy applications. 香港经济低迷，破产申请个案随之上升。
- And as with slumping, over-arching can also be a simple postural habit. 就像弯腰驼背，过度挺直也可能只是一种习惯性姿势。
- The last decade saw the emergence of a dynamic economy.最近10年见证了经济增长的姿态。
- Language emerges and develops with the emergence and development of society.语言是随着社会的产生而产生，随着社会的发展而发展的。
- Man's aspiration should be as lofty as the stars.人的志气应当象天上的星星那么高。
- Young Addison had a strong aspiration to be an inventor.年幼的爱迪生渴望成为一名发明家。
- The soup has a savor of onion.这汤有洋葱味。
- His humorous remarks added a savor to our conversation.他幽默的话语给谈话增添了风趣。