Forum Post: Here’s a great list of actions, across the country:
Posted 11 years ago on Sept. 20, 2012, 10:13 a.m. EST by factsrfun
(8310)
from Phoenix, AZ
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
New York
Campaign: A coalition of workers, businesses, and community members are organizing to support a bill championed by Speaker Sheldon Silver in the New York State Assembly, which would raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.50 per hour and index it to keep pace with the rising cost of living. On May 15, 2012, the State Assembly passed this bill by a 98-49 margin, though the Republican-controlled State Senate has refused to bring the Assembly bill up for a vote.
Contact: Andrés Dae Keun Kwon, Raise NY's Minimum Wage Campaign Coordinator, akwon AT workingfamilies DOT org
Illinois
Campaign: “Raise Illinois” is a coalition of community, business, faith and labor organizations and minimum wage workers organizing to increase Illinois’ minimum wage from $8.25 to $10.65 per hour by 2014, index it to inflation, and eliminate the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers. Launched in February 2011, the coalition has focused on building grassroots support for the measure, signing on co-sponsors and identifying and mobilizing low wage workers who would benefit from the increase. The campaign has taken busloads of supporters to the statehouse multiple times, organized phone banks, placed op-eds and provided strong testimony in favor of the bill at a committee hearing. A NELP-commissioned poll conducted in January 2011 found that71% percent of Illinois voters support increasing the state’s minimum wage. Contact: Madeline Talbott, Lead Organizer; Action Now: (312) 676-4280; mtalbott@actionnow.org; http://raiseillinois.com/ More resources on this campaign:
Maine
Campaign: Labor and community advocates supported two bills to raise and indexing the minimum wage this session – testifying at committee hearings, lobbying and garnering press. However, the bills did not advance in the Republican-controlled statehouse. In addition, worker advocates in Maine found themselves defending against two bills to weaken wage and hour protections for young workers – including creating a 6 month “training wage” for workers under 20 that would have been $2.25 cents lower than the current state minimum wage. While the subminimum wage bill is dead for now, advocates expect additional defensive work and continue to explore proactive efforts to raise the minimum wage.
Contact: Sarah Standiford, Executive Director, Maine Women’s Lobby: (207) 622-0851 x20;
sstandiford@mainewomen.org;http://www.mainewomen.org/
California
Campaign: State Assemblyman Luis Alejo has introduced a bill to raise the California minimum wage from $8.00 to $8.50 per hour by 2012, and adjust it annually for increases in the cost of living. The bill was approved by the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee in March 2011 after a lively hearing. Efforts are underway to advance the bill through the Appropriations Committee and bring it to a vote of the full Assembly.
Contact: Marva Diaz, Chief of Staff, Assemblymember Luis Alejo: 916-319-2028;
Marva.Diaz@asm.ca.gov;http://asmdc.org/members/a28/
Missouri
Campaign: Missouri worker advocates found themselves defending their state minimum wage this year, as lawmakers backed by the Chamber of Commerce attempted to repeal the state’s annual inflation adjustment, freezing the state minimum wage at the federal level of $7.25. While the repeal effort passed the full House and a Senate committee, the legislative session ended without a vote by the full Senate. Missouri voters approved a minimum wage increase and permanent annual indexing of the minimum wage at the ballot in 2006 by a 76% margin. Worker justice advocates are preparing to face additional defensive efforts next session, as well as considering proactive measures to increase the minimum wage.
Contact: Lara Granich, Missouri Jobs with Justice: (314) 644-0466 x10;
lara@mojwj.org; http://www.mojwj.org/
Massachusetts
Campaign: Minimum wage advocates have introduced legislation to raise the state’s minimum wage from $8.00 to $10 an hour by 2013 in three steps and then adjust it annually to rise with the cost of living. The bill would also increase the minimum wage for tipped workers, an area where Massachusetts lags behind many states.
Contact: Tim Sullivan, Legislative and Communications Director,
Massachusetts AFL-CIO: tsullivan@massaflcio.org; (781) 324-8230;
Maryland
Campaign: Launched in January 2011 by Progressive Maryland, the “Raise Maryland” campaign seeks to increase the state’s $7.25 an hour minimum wage to $9.75 in three steps by 2013 and adjust it annually to rise with the cost of living thereafter. The proposal would also increase the minimum wage for tipped workers. In 2011, the campaign generated hearings on the bill in both the House and Senate, a petition drive in a key district, a very positive poll, and some good press to lay the groundwork to push for passage in the 2013 session.
Here is the link to more:
Good post! The minimum wage in 1968 adjusted for inflation was over $10 an hour, now it's just $7.25 an hour. Keep pushing for a living wage. We deserve a fair share of the wealth we help to create.
thanks it's actually $10.35 they have it on their website, my son sent me this one :).
Here is a good article about how most of the 99% aspire to be the 1%. It helps explain why there is a lack of support for OWS across the board.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-ehrlich-occupy-20120923,0,4528964.column
It's a good read.
“The greatest mistake of the movement has been trying to organize a sleeping people around specific goals. You have to wake the people up first, then you'll get action.” ― Malcolm X
the requested increases are still not a living wage
I believe if a journey is to be finished, it must be started.
consider the average income is $112,000 when the rich are included in the calculations
while min wage earns $12,000
I think we can afford a more equal distribution
well if want to know what I think I would support the graduated rate, based on education level only, and tax exception payroll and income for the first $50,000.
I am always open to discussion about details, as I actually don't know everything, as some others do (not talking about you here), but I think a good starting place would be $10/non HS grad, $15/ HS grad, $20/ AA, $25/ BS, now there might be problems with advance degrees being "locked out" but like I say I'm open.....
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Great information. At the State level, things can actually get done! For years I heard, "If you pay people not to work, they will have no incentive to work." It should have been, "No company should pay such a small wage that it makes welfare attractive to anyone."
FDR said any company that doesn't pay a living wage doesn't have a right to exist.
Yep. If you want to read about where we went wrong, it is well summed up in That Used To Be Us, by Friedman and and Mandelbaum -- who we were, what happened, and how we can get our mojo back, so to speak. It's discouraging and hopeful all at the same time.
The Americans who run the country don't need the people who live in it anymore, or so they think.
Taking the bulk of the people and what they do for granted does not usually end very well. One would think they would have learned something from history. Ah, well.
maybe the number of people who think wealth inequality is a problem is down or up to 2% depending on how you look at it, but given that it is the core problem and so few even think of it, I am losing hope, I think democracy will be killed by these selecting the voters laws.....there may be 50 or 60 million people who are so deeply ingrained to the monarchy that they will go to war to protect the Koch bros billions
On the other hand, it would be a helluva message if the money loses down the line to the people. We can make it happen by helping those who need help to meet the voting requirements and getting to the polls. It won't be easy, but it can be done, and that would be a powerful message to everyone that it will behoove politicians to pay attention to the electorate for a change. I remain ever hopeful :)
The first step is to get the electorate to pay attention to the politicians.
If wealth inequality is not addressed America will fail eventually, it's in the numbers.
True. I am encouraging that when and where I can :)
funny thing I posted this one and a pure partisan attack on Romney at the same time (about his 47% remark) this gets no attention and the other has over 400 comments, I guess the election is starting to suck all the air out of the room....
Yes; I hate that we have such demonization going on. Opinions seem to always reign over facts, since an opinion does not require any thinking. :)
I had a con on another broad tell me that there are no facts in politics, just opinions, I think she really believed that, I told her I could understand that coming from a con, they think things like climate change and evolution are opinions.
Boy, does that explain a lot! :)
It really is one of the concepts that the think tanks have been planting for decades...