About That Raise...
From the AFL-CIO
Eleven years ago today, Congress passed the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, which was the last time federal politicians raised pay for those who work the hardest for the least. Since then, the value of the minimum wage has dipped 10 percent because of inflation, while the earnings of the country’s wealthiest earners have continued to soar.
America’s working families are united behind an agenda to raise pay, so nobody who works full-time will live in poverty.
A national worker-led movement to raise pay has been gaining momentum for years because we need better wages to live and for our communities to thrive. Yet politicians in Congress have not answered the call and instead have rigged the rules of our economy against us.
We want a $15 minimum wage because nobody who works full-time should live in poverty.
We want the freedom to join in union with our co-workers to negotiate with our employers for fair pay and benefits.
We want working family champions who will work with us to write new economic rules, so our families and our communities can thrive.
Rising pay creates a virtuous cycle of higher living standards, growing consumer demand and greater business investment, which fuels a race to the top.
Working people want a fair economy with good pay and benefits and a secure retirement, and we’ll organize and mobilize to win it.
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