• Home
  • On Point
  • Member Engagement
  • Resource Center
  • Tools
  • Home
  • On Point
  • Member Engagement
  • Resource Center
  • Tools

Blog

6 Apr
2014

“Give America a Raise” Bus Tour Stops in Illinois to Advocate for Raising the Minimum Wage

"Give America a Raise", Americans United for Change, OUR Walmart

The “Give America a Raise” bus tour continued in Illinois where UFCW  members and community allies  advocated to raise the minimum wage.

The “Give America a Raise” bus tour continued in Illinois where UFCW
members and community allies
advocated to raise the minimum wage.

Last week, UFCW members joined local elected officials, labor and faith leaders, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, OUR Walmart, and other low-wage workers in Chicago as part of the “Give America a Raise” bus tour. The bus tour, launched by Americans United for Change, is an 11-state tour to urge Republicans in Congress to raise the minimum wage to $10.10. Rose Campbell, a Walmart employee and OUR Walmart leader, spoke at a rally in Chicago about Walmart worker’s struggle to make ends meet while earning a Walmart poverty wage.

“Americans agree that no one who works should live in poverty, yet the reality is that workers around the country earning minimum wage are living below the poverty line,” Campbell said. “It’s long past time for Congress to give America a raise.”

Since 2009, the federal minimum wage has remained the same but the of price of food, gas, utilities, and basic necessities have dramatically increase due to economic inflation, making it nearly impossible to get by anywhere in America on $7.25 an hour or $15,000 a year.

A recent Public Policy Polling survey found that 63 percent of Illinois voters support raising the minimum wage to $10 – while only 33 percent are opposed – and by 11 point spread that they’re less likely to vote for Senator Mark Kirk again if he opposes it.

A new report out from Center for American Progress Action Fund finds that raising the minimum wage would increase wages for 1,127,000 workers in Illinois by more than $1.3 billion if the minimum wage is raised to $10.10, and it would generate more than $860 million of economic activity in the state.

The bus tour’s Illinois stops included Chicago, Belvidere, and Springfield. concluding_insignia_OP

Sign Up for On Point

* denotes required field

Updates

  • Allies and Affiliates
    • AFL-CIO
    • ICWUC
    • RWDSU
  • Community
    • Community Outreach
    • Environment
    • Food Access
  • Education
    • Scholarship
  • Events
  • Health & Safety
  • Health Care
  • Industries
    • Cannabis
    • Chemical Workers
    • Grocery
    • Packing and Processing
      • Food Processing
      • Meat Packing
      • Poultry
    • Retail
  • Lobby Day
  • On Point
    • Legislation and Politics
    • Negotiations
    • Organizing
  • Resources
    • Local Union Resources
    • Member Resources
    • Reports
    • Share Graphics and Memes
  • Survey
  • UFCW Canada

Pages

  • 2014 UFCW Attorneys’ Conference
  • Constituency Groups
  • Home
  • On Point
  • Resources
  • Right to Work Survey
  • Tools
    • Need a Website?
      • New Website Application Form
    • Translations

© 2021 For Local Unions.

All rights reserved.

Find us online

Back
to
top