18 U.S. Senators Support a Model Employer Executive Order

“The federal government continues to be America’s largest low-wage job creator, subsidizing poverty-level wages through taxpayer-financed contracts, loans and grants with private companies… We therefore call on you to issue on executive order giving preference in government contracting to “model employers” who pay a living wage, offer fair healthcare and retirement benefits, grant paid leave for sickness and care-giving, provide full-time hours and stale schedules, and give workers a voice through collective bargaining so they don’t need to strike to be heard.” For the full letter, click here.

National Faith Leaders Support A Living Wage and Benefits for Federal Contract Workers

“As Leaders of faith communities in the United States, we express our gratitude to you for exercising moral leadership by using your executive powers to start lifting low-wage workers out of poverty. However, given the scale of human suffering caused by poverty jobs, we urge you to do even more to aid our nation’s most vulnerable workers by promoting living wage and benefit standards on federal contracts with the power of your pen. We believe that if you lead on this, our economy and the labor market will once again follow your lead.” For the full letter, click here.

U.S. Senate Letter to President Obama

“Profitable corporations that receive lucrative contracts from the federal government should pay all of their workers a decent wage…we urge you to take immediate action to increase the wages of hundreds of thousands of low-wage employees who work for the federal contractors and subcontractors by making sure that they are paid no less than $10.10 an hour. This will be a significant step forward in their lives and will give a boost tour economy.” For the full letter, click here.

U.S. House Representatives Letter to President

“We urge you to issue an executive order to raise wage standards, safeguard the legal rights and safety and provide labor stability for low-wage workers…Addressing the rights and standards of this workforce would be a major first step in reversing the long-term decline in living standards and working conditions for America’s low-wage workers.” For the full letter, click here.

National Interfaith Letter to the President

“The federal government washes it’s hands of responsibility for the plight of these workers. It could set the standard for the just and equitable treatment of working people who want to share in God’s vision of abundant life for all…Martin Luther King, Jr. said it best, “All labor has dignity.” President Lyndon B. Johnson issued an executive order in 1965 banning discrimination by the government and government contractors against their work force. President Johnson’s bold action set a new standard of racial non-discrimination in the workforce.” For the full letter, click here.

NAACP Letter to the President

“The NAACP also strongly supports and encourages President Barak Obama to issue an Executive Order increasing the minimum wage for all employees of federal contractors to not less than $10.10 per hour, and then trying future annual increases to the federal cost of living index” For the full statement, click here.