Iowa CCI Living Wage Presentation Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Poverty Affects us All Symposium March 15, 2017
Background Our history with worker justice issues Starting back in 2009, largely organizing immigrant workers Our worker justice organizing started around organizing folks who weren t getting paid. The first big campaign we worked on was around a cleaning company at Mercy Hospital and we recovered over $9,000 in wages Expanded construction, hospitality, restaurant industries Organized workers to collect over $180,000 in stolen wages Expanded to workplace discrimination, misclassification, payroll debit card, raising the minimum wage Underlying theme with all folks who came in our doors: they re not making enough to get by National Context The Fight for $15 campaign started nationally in 2012 when fast food workers went on strike for the first time in New York City The basic context was this: there are millions of workers across the country working for billion dollar companies while being paid starvation wages.
Biggest employers in the US Walmart biggest in the world McDonald s Kroger (grocery store chain) IBM Home Depot Our economy is largely a service sector economy. We need to adapt to our changing workforce.
Cost of Living in Iowa Iowa Policy Project
Cost of Living in Iowa Iowa Policy Project Adult without health insurance from employer Monthly expenses: $1,854 Annual expenses: $22,247 Need to make $13.16 to make ends meet Adult with health insurance from employer Annual total basic expenses: $20,039 Need to make $11.69 to make ends meet
Cost of Living in Iowa Iowa Policy Project Single parent without health insurance from employer Monthly expenses One child: $3,163 Two children: $3,879 Annual expenses One child: $37,957 Two children: $46,549 Need to make $21.52/hr with one child and $26/hr with two children to make ends meet. Single parent with health insurance from employer Annual expenses One child: $34,186 Two children: $41,777 Need to make $18.94/hr with one child and $22.54/hr with two children to make ends meet
Cost of Living in Polk County, IA
Cost of Living in Iowa Alliance for a Just Society
Cost of Living in Iowa with student loans Alliance for Just Society (AJS) According to AJS, a single adult with no student loan debt needs to make $15.10/hr to make ends meet According to AJS, a single adult with the median student loan debt needs to make $16.74/hr to make ends meet
Who works low wage jobs? Many would have you believe that teenagers are the majority of individuals working low wage jobs. That s not the case. This is who works low wage jobs: Women 56% People of color 20% 31% - 40 years + 3/5 work full time 31% - parents 16% teenagers
What s been done in Iowa to raise the wage: So far, four Iowa counties have raised their wage: Johnson County Voted to raise the minimum wage in 2014. The final increase went into effect on January 1, 2017 to $10.10/hr with annual cost of living adjustments following. Linn County Voted to raise the minimum wage in September, 2016. The first increase went into effect on January, 2017 to $8.25/hr, ultimately being raised to $10.25/hr on January 1, 2019. Starting in 2020, there will be annual cost of living adjustments to the minimum wage. Wapello County Voted to raise the minimum wage in September, 2016. The first went into effect on January, 2017 to $8.20/hr, ultimately being raised to $10.10/hr on January 1, 2019. Starting in 2020, there will be annual cost of living adjustments to the minimum wage. Polk County Voted to raise the minimum wage in October, 2016. The first increase goes into effect on April 1, 2017 to $8.75/hr, ultimately being raised to $10.75/hr on January 1, 2019. Starting in 2020, there will be annual cost of living adjustments to the minimum wage. These raises will affect thousands of everyday Iowans. We need to keep these important ordinances, and push for a higher minimum wage at the state level.
We need to raise the minimum wage in Iowa We haven t raised the minimum wage in Iowa since Jan, 2008 to $7.25/hr (federal government raised the minimum wage in 2009) 29 states have raised the minimum wage including all but one of our bordering states It s a popular issue 7/10 Iowans support raising the minimum wage, including the majority of Republicans.
Minimum wages across the U.S.
Worker Attacks Preemption bill (HF295) An act prohibiting counties and cities from establishing certain regulations relating to employment matters and the sale or marketing of consumer merchandise, providing for properly related matters, and including effective date provisions. This bill would lower the minimum wage for thousands of Iowans and take away local control from counties and cities. Passed the Iowa House, moves on to the Iowa Senate Collective bargaining bill (HSB 84) A bill for an act relating to employment matters involving public employees including collective bargaining, educator employment matters, personnel records and settlement agreements, city civil service requirements, and health insurance matters, making penalties applicable, and including effective date, applicability, and transition provisions. Passed and signed into law No bill to raise the minimum wage was brought to committee.
Take Action Call/Email your Senator: Tell them to vote NO on preemption bill and stand up for workers! We need a living wage, not to lower the minimum wage for thousands of Iowans. Find your legislator: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/find