From Moms Rising (https://www.momsrising.org/):
We have a wage shortage on our hands, across the nation.
Maybe you know this firsthand when you crunch numbers in your head to budget for food and rent, or maybe you’ve noticed that many businesses are having a difficult time finding, hiring and maintaining staff that can afford to make the minimum wage.
(Spoiler alert: families can’t meet their basic needs on the current federal minimum wage! The math just doesn’t add up. It stands at just $7.25/hr, and for tipped workers, the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers is an unconscionable $2.13/hr.)
Go to https://action.momsrising.org/sign/RaiseTheWage2021 to automatically add your name to the official MomsRising letter urging Congress to act now on raising the federal minimum wage and ending the harmful tipped minimum wage.
The minimum wage hasn’t gone up in twelve years, but the cost of living certainty has, and the value of the minimum wage has actually decreased 21% in value over those twelve years. [2] To afford a modest one-bedroom at Fair Market Rent, someone earning the current federal minimum wage must work 79 hours each week. [3] It’s undeniable that the minimum wage has become a poverty wage instead of an anti-poverty wage.
>>> To boost families and our consumer-driven economy, click here to add your signature to our letter asking Congress to PASS the Raise the Wage Act! *When you click this link your name will automatically be added to our letter to Congress and if your information is already in our system, you won’t even have to fill out any forms.
When you click to instantly take action, here is what you’ll be signing onto:
Dear Member of Congress: Working families truly cannot wait any longer for a federal minimum wage increase. Please pass the Raise the Wage Act ASAP! The minimum wage hasn’t gone up in twelve years, but the cost of living certainty has, and the value of the minimum wage has actually decreased 21% in value over those twelve years. It’s undeniable that the minimum wage has become a poverty wage instead of an anti-poverty wage. Raising the minimum wage for moms and all working people will help us build a widely shared recovery and more financially resilient families, communities, and local economies. With more money in our pockets, we will have dollars to spend and pour back into our consumer-fueled economy while resourcing our kids with the things they need and deserve, like shoes that fit or after-school snacks.
Raising the minimum wage would give over 30% of all working moms (nearly 8 million of us – the majority breadwinners!) a much needed raise. It would also boost the economy and help businesses fill open positions. [4, 5]
It will be a game changer for families! And with more money in our pockets, we will have dollars to spend and pour back into our consumer-fueled economy while resourcing our kids with the things they need and deserve, like shoes that fit or after-school snacks.
Contrary to the regularly spread myth about raising the minimum wage, raising the federal minimum wage will increase the number of jobs available and help businesses.
Studies show that cities, states, and employers that have already raised their minimum wage to $15/hr or more have experienced either neutral or POSITIVE impacts with job growth and revenue, while families were finally able to afford the basics and stimulate the economy. [5] A total win-win.
*** CLICK HERE *** to add your name to the official MomsRising letter calling on Congress to pass the Raise the Wage Act as soon as possible! *When you click this link your name will automatically be added to our letter to Congress and if your information is already in our system, you won’t even have to fill out any forms.
Raising the minimum wage for moms and all working people will help us build a widely shared recovery and more financially resilient families, communities, and local economies.
Together, we can end poverty wages! Don’t forget to click here to automatically sign our letter.
PS – Our stories matter! Do you currently make the minimum wage? Or did you in the past few years? It’s impossible to afford even the basics on $7.25 or $2.13/hr. What was it like to juggle your family budget on the minimum wage? Tell us here. We’ll share your story with lawmakers so they can understand why it’s so critical that they raise the minimum wage!
References:
[2] Economic Policy Institute: The minimum wage has lost 21% of its value since Congress last raised the wage
[3] National Low Income Housing Coalition: Out of Reach 2021
[4] Economic Policy Institute: Congress could help nearly 8 million working moms if it raised the federal minimum wage
[5] Center for American Progress: Raising the Minimum Wage is Key to Supporting Breadwinning Mothers Who Drive the Economy
[6] Center for American Progress: Raising the Minimum Wage Would Boost an Economic Recovery–And Reduce Taxpayer Subsidization of Low-Wage Work
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