Dear John,

We’ve never been closer to achieving a $15/hour federal minimum wage, despite what you may have seen in the media this week. But we need everyone to help push this over the finish line. We are joining forces with One Fair Wage and SEIU on Monday for a Raise the Wage Moral Monday at 12pm ET / 9am PT:

We demand that Congress:

1. Immediately raise the minimum wage to $15/hour.
2. Abolish the sub-minimum wage and include tipped workers.
3. Expand union rights for everyone.

The last time the country faced an economic crisis at the scale of the one we are facing, the FDR administration rolled out massive government assistance programs, financial reforms, public works projects and worker protections, known as the New Deal.

But the New Deal excluded millions of workers by creating exemptions for domestic work, and the agricultural and restaurant industries primarily staffed by workers of color, women and poor White people. The tipped or sub-minimum wage system is a direct legacy of slavery and continues to lead to poverty wages and increased sexual harassment in the work place.

In this moment of immense economic hardship and a pandemic, we have another opportunity for bold transformation. We cannot repeat the mistakes of history. That’s why we’re teaming up with SEIU and One Fair Wage for a massive online Moral Monday rally on Feb. 8 at 12pm ET / 9am PT to declare Everybody In, Nobody Out!

Forward together, not one step back!

Rev. Dr. William Barber, II & Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis

P.S. The co-chairs of the PPC joined a virtual briefing on Friday to release a report outlining how tipped workers and the sub-minimum wage is a legacy of slavery. View the report here here and the briefing here.