Wages and Work

The Wages and Work working group takes on the issues related to economic determinants of health of income and wealth precarity, poverty and disparity including both wages and taxes, and the related issues working conditions and labor including unionizing and unions.  Our starting point is to reverse, and undo the damage, of the “neoliberal” policies since the late 1970s that have held back workers wages and collective power; increased the economic precarity for the majority of persons living in America; while also dramatically increasing the absolute and relative wealth, and political power, of a tiny plutocracy to an extent that is actually worse than the prior “gilded era” of the late 19^th and early 20^th century.

Just by way of examples, specific campaigns we have gotten involved in previously have included “Fight for $15” (and perhaps a fight for $30 going forward), and more recently “One Fair Wage” (eliminate the so-called “tipped” sub-minimum wage): “No More 24” (eliminate 24 hour workday, especially where home care attendants are paid for 13 while having to say in clients home for 24 hours); Caring Majority campaign fight to increase hourly wage actually paid to homecare attendants and could include wage issues in for other workers such as EMS, and the like. This could also include support for Worker Rights in the context of labor organizing (e.g., Amazon/Starbuck unionizing; UAW/Verizon strikes) and of course Invest in Our NY/Tax the Rich). We welcome everyone’s input and suggestions as to what we should get involved with and work on.