Why Raise the Minimum Wage?

If you work hard, you get ahead. That's the American Dream in a nutshell. But mounting evidence shows that while U.S. workers are working harder than ever, their impressive productivity gains are going unrewarded. As a result, millions of U.S. workers are struggling in dire straits, having to choose between a doctor's visit for a sick child or putting food on the table.

This sobering situation -- reality for almost 1 in 4 adult workers in the United States -- is shown in Roger Weisberg's alarming and heart-wrenching new documentary, "Waging a Living," which puts a human face on the growing economic squeeze that is forcing millions of workers into the ranks of the poor.

A recent article, "Working Family Blues" by Robert L. Borosage, also highlights the growing epidemic of what happens when the American "work ethic" bears no relationship to its "wage ethic."

Today, many more middle-class workers are feeling the pinch with soaring housing, health care, and gasoline and heating oil costs. Across the United States, people across the spectrum of class, political affiliation, and faiths are starting to take notice.

As part of this trend, I've been fielding some excellent questions about wages, globalization, and U.S. competitiveness in the international marketplace.

Karen Kallay, chair of the social justice committee at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fredericksburg in Virginia writes, "a contingent of our congregation is concerned that increasing minimum wages will put the United States into a less competitive position in the international marketplace. Can you refer us to any substantive research done by universities, think tanks, etc., that addresses this concern?"

In response to Karen's question, I shared some of the recent research by leading economists and researchers, and include them here:

• The New York Times Op-Ed The War Against Wages by Paul Krugman highlights the erosion of wages and reduced job benefits in the context of soaring corporate profits and an all-time high Dow Jones Industrial Average.
  
• "Economists Call for Minimum Wage to be Raised" cites more than 650 economists, including five winners of the Nobel Prize for economics, in their recent call for an increase in the minimum wage.


• "Economy Booming for Billionaires" by Holly Sklar highlights the cavernous wealth gap between rich and poor in the United States providing a basis for the argument that obscene CEO salaries are making the United States uncompetitive.


• "Pastors Push Living Wage as Election Issue" cites UUSC's leadership in building the faith-led living wage movement, and highlights the efforts of Let Justice Roll to lift up wages as a moral issue.

Through our economic justice program, UUSC is committed to winning decent wages for workers. We're building partnerships, creating advocacy opportunities, and helping people get involved in strengthening a worker's right to earn a living wage with dignity.

As part of our living wage focus, UUSC partners with Let Justice Roll, a national coalition of over 80 faith-based and community groups leading the way in engaging faith-based activists in an effort to raise the minimum wage.

We've also launched a new Wage Justice initiative to answer questions, provide free tools and resources, and support your efforts to get involved in the local, state, or national level.

Join us and help strengthen the vital role that our members and supporters are playing in the living wage movement through statewide campaigns like Pennsylvania and Colorado.

Together, we can join one of the most powerful grassroots economic justice movements in the nation, and defend workers' rights as human rights!