DONT TAKE THE MAIN PART OUT OF
A RESCUE PACKAGE.
>> SINCE 2009, THE FEDERAL
MINIMUM WAGE HAS REMAINED
STAGNANT AT $7.25 AN HOUR.
THAT MEANS SOMEONE WORKING 40
HOURS A WEEK AT MINIMUM WAGE
MAKES JUST $15,000 A YEAR BEFORE
TAXES.
FOR THE LAST NINE YEARS, THERE
HAS BEEN A GROWING MOVEMENT TO
INCREASE THE MINIMUM WAGE TO $15.
AND NOW THE DEMOCRATS ARE ON THE
PRECIPICE OF A CHOOEFRGCHIEVING
AS PART OF CONGRESS RELIEF
BILL.
WHILE IT WOULD TAKE SOME
MANEUVERING, ALLOWING DEMOCRATS
TO PASS THE BILL WITH A SIMPLE
MAJORITY, COMMENTS FROM BIDEN
ARE AMONG CONCERNS, THAT THIS
WHITE HOUSE IS NOT AT LEAST
WILLING TO PUT UP A FIGHT TO SEE
THIS RIGHT NOW.
>> YOU ALSO WANT TO RAISE THE
MINIMUM WAGE TO $15.
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU WOULD BE
WILLING TO NEGOTIATE ON IN ORDER
TO GET REPUBLICAN SUPPORT?
>> WELL, PAERM THATSAPPARENTLY
GOING TO OCCUR BECAUSE OF THE
RULES OF THE UNITED STATES
SENATE.
>> YOURE SAYING THE MINIMUM
WAGE WILL NOTING IN THIS?
>> POTENTIALLY IT WILL NOT BE IN
IT, BUT WE SHOULD HAVE A MINIMUM
WAGE STAND BY ITSELF, 15 THERE
ARE AN HOUR.
>> JOINING ME NOW, CO-CHAIR OF
THE PEOPLES CAMPAIGN.
HAPPY MONDAY.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
LETS DIG INTO THIS.
THE ARGUMENT IS OBVIOUS FOR
RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE TO $15
AN HOUR IF YOURE A WORKER.
ON THE OTHER END OF THAT
ARGUMENT ARE SOME DEMOCRATS WHO
WORRY THAT IT WILL COST JOBS.
LET ME TELL YOU WHAT THE
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE CAME
OUT, AND THEY REPORTED, THE CBO,
THEY REPORTED THAT PASSING
MINIMUM WAGE TO $15 WOULD
INCREASE THE DEFICIT, THAT IT
WOULD LIFT 900,000 AMERICANS OUT
OF POVERTY, WHICH IS A GREAT
THING, BUT IT WOULD COST 1.4
MILLION JOBS BY 2025 BAYSECAUSE
THINGS LIKE AUTOMATION.
THE BURGER PLACES WILL JUST AUTO
AUTOMATE THEIR INDUSTRIES AND
NOT HIRE HUMANS.
WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT?
>> THANK YOU, JOY, FOR THAT,
BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME PROBLEMS
WITH THAT.
FIRST OF ALL, IM GLAD THEY SAID
IT WOULD LIFT PEOPLE OUT OF
POVERTY, AND TODAY PEOPLE
FIGHTING IN THE CAMPAIGN AND
PEOPLE LIKE PAMELA SAYING, WE
HAVE TO HAVE THAT NOW.
WHAT THEYRE BASING THAT ON IS A
55-YEAR-OLD POVERTY THRESHOLD
THAT IS FAR TOO LOW.
THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS IT
WILL LIFT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE OUT
OF LOW WAGES AND POVERTY.
62 MILLION PEOPLE WORK FOR LESS
THAN A LIVING WAGE.
6 MILLION WORKERS, TIP WORKERS,
WHO MAKE $2.10 AN HOUR PLUS TIP
WILL BE LIFTED OUT OF THAT.
45% OF BLACK WORKERS, POOR
LOW-WAGE WORKERS, AND THE
MAJORITY WOULD BE WHITE WORKERS
FROM WEST VIRGINIA TO
MISSISSIPPI.
BUT YOU HAVE TO ADD TO THIS NOT
ONLY THE RAISE OF THE LIVING
WAGE BUT THE HEALTH CARE AND
INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE KNOW THAT FOR EVERY $1
INCREASING THE MINIMUM WAGE, IT
ADDS $1.2 TO THE ECONOMY,
ACCORDING TO THE INSTITUTE FOR
POLICY STULD DEESDIES, WHICH THE
CREATES JOBS AND CREATES
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO THE
ECONOMY.
WE LIKE THE CBO, BUT THERE ARE
ECONOMISTS SAYING THAT NUMBER IS
BASED ON THE OLD POVERTY LINE,
AND THATS ALL THEYRE LOOKING
AT.
THEYRE NOT LOOKING AT LOW-WAGE
WORKERS WHO MAKE LESS THAN 15,
62 MILLION OF THEM BEFORE COVID
AND 6 MILLION TIP WORKERS.
AND, YOU KNOW, TIPPING PEOPLE IS
A LEGACY OF SLAVERY.
THE REALITY IS YOU CANNOT TALK
ABOUT RACIAL EQUITY.
YOU CANNOT TALK ABOUT
GEOGRAPHICAL EQUITY.
YOU CANNOT TALK ABOUT GENDER
EQUITY.
YOU CANNOT TALK ABOUT WOMENS HE