Recently, the Congressional Progressive Caucus honored Good Jobs Nation for winning two Presidential executive orders that kicked-off wage hikes for millions of America’s low-wage workers.
After walking off their jobs 11 times at landmarks like the Pentagon and Smithsonian Museums, workers got the President to use the power of the pen to boost the minimum wage to $10.10 at the 2014 State of the Union.
And as The New York Times Editorial Board noted, the President’s decision to lead by example “set a new norm and played a role” in moving the chief executives of cities, states, and private companies like Wal-Mart, The Gap, IKEA, Aetna, and Disney to raise starting pay.
All together, over 8 million low-wage workers will get pay raises – all because the President led by example.
But that’s not all. Workers got the President to issue a second executive order to crack down on wage theft and legal violations after Good Jobs Nation exposed rampant wage theft by federal contractors.
Federal contract worker Brittany Butler accepted the award and thanked the Members of Congress for helping workers win. But, she added, the fight isn’t over…
“Workers need more than the minimum to live the American Dream. Even with a higher minimum wage – and even when we aren’t cheated out of our pay – we are still struggling to survive. We need the President to do more.”
The New York Times Editorial Board agreed that the White House must do more for low-wage workers, saying “President Obama must continue to move forward by executive action…Mr. Obama should follow-up with another order to ensure that federal agencies give priority in federal contracting to employers that offer better pay and benefits than competitors and support collective bargaining.”
The drumbeat for bolder Presidential leadership is growing.
That’s why progressive members of Congress and 20 leading political and advocacy organizations are calling on the President – or his successor – to do “More Than the Minimum” by taking bolder executive action to award federal contracts to model employers that pay a living wage of at least $15 an hour, offer benefits and respect workers’ right to collectively bargain.
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The fight for a Good Jobs Nation continues!
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