Expanding the Possible

Folks in D.C. like to say that politics is the art of the possible. I assume they say it based on their experience or perhaps it's to make themselves feel better about everything that doesn't get done around here. I'm always quick to respond, "But grassroots advocacy expands what is possible!" And that's where I've put my energies over the last 20 years as a D.C.-based advocate for economic and human rights.

Today was a perfect example of how grassroots advocacy expands what's possible. Ten long years have gone by since minimum wage workers last received a raise. Sen. Ted Kennedy, a tireless champion of workers' rights, has introduced his Fair Minimum Wage Act each and every year, only to find it wasn't possible to get it signed into law. That is, until the grassroots movement began organizing living wage campaigns at the local level and minimum wage increases at the state level.

UUSC has been actively involved in the Let Justice Roll campaign which brings a strong faith-based activist voice to the living wage movement. Last November, when voters went to the polls, six minimum wage ballot initiatives won and conservatives lost control of the House and Senate. That was the moment when the politics of this issue finally changed.

Today, as the first phase of the new minimum wage law went into effect, I was pleased to see Speaker Nancy Pelosi (who passed the bill in her first 100 hours) standing beside Kennedy as we all celebrated at a rally near the U.S. Capitol. In his speech,Kennedy acknowledged the leadership of the grassroots movement of Let Justice Roll, the unions, and low-wage workers who made this law possible. He also announced that very soon he was going to introduce a new Fair Minimum Wage Act to raise the hourly rate to at least $9.00. So, let's wage on!