fresh voices from the front lines of change

Democracy

Health

Climate

Housing

Education

Rural

The minimum wage has not been raised in forever – more and more people are falling behind. A few are getting fabulously wealthy from this arrangement.

The Progressive Caucus held a Netroots Nation event today to launch the kickoff of their “Raise Up America” Campaign. This campaign is sponsored by ProgressiveCongress.org and will highlight the faces of inequality.

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus introduced Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), each speaking about the effect of low wages on people and our economy, while the top percent of a percent get fabulously wealthy.




Also speaking at the event were two low-wage workers, Rasheen Aldridge who works at Jimmy John's in St. Louis and Darius Chambers who works at Tony Horton's in Detroit, both describing how hard it is to get by on minimum wage, how the companies keep then under a certain number of hours so they don't have to provide benefits, and how people are fired if they speak up.

"We're being treated like crap because we're being paid like crap."

The "Raise our pay" tour will continue in several cities this summer, including Detroit.

More

See the Chicago-based FightFor15.org, fighting for a $15 minimum wage, the St. Louis-based STL735.org and Detroit-based Detroit15.org.
-----

Follow me and CAF on Twitter:

Pin It on Pinterest

Spread The Word!

Share this post with your networks.