On May 6, the New England Council of the UFCW endorsed a $15 an hour minimum wage for all working New Englanders. Their call to raise the minimum wage reflects a long-standing effort of the region’s UFCW locals to improve the lives of all hard-working families who put food on our nation’s tables. While not endorsing any individual piece of legislation, the New England UFCW locals are committed to working with other labor allies, progressive partners, and community leaders to raise the minimum wage to $15. Raising wages, while also providing life-changing benefits, like paid leave, retirement, and affordable health care, is critical for hard-working men and women.
The New England Council of the UFCW issued the following statement:
“New Englanders and all Americans work hard and have earned the right to a $15 minimum wage. Yet, the reality is that tens of thousands of non-union grocery and retail workers struggle alone in jobs with low wages and no benefits, unable to provide for themselves or their families. Raising the minimum wage to $15 is critical to the better New England we all want and believe in.
“While a $15 minimum wage is the foundation for a better life that all grocery and retail workers earn and deserve, we can and must do more. In fact, it is our members’ unbreakable commitment to improving the lives of working families that guided our recent negotiations and fight for better wages and benefits at Stop & Shop. Good benefits, like retirement, healthcare, and paid leave, that are supported by good wages and are protected by a contract, are what truly define a better life for all our 35,000 Stop & Shop members and our entire union family.
“By working together, our members, our union family, and the community helped make Stop & Shop a better company and a better place to work. Now, by standing up together for a $15 minimum wage, we can provide a better wage to all hard-working grocery and retail workers, and help send a message that every nonunion worker across New England deserves more than the minimum; they’ve earned a better life.”