Minneapolis $15/hr Initiative Launched

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Sisters and brothers,

Almost two years ago, workers in Seattle won $15/hr, sparking a broad movement for $15/hour across the country. Over the last year, we’ve seen victories in numerous cities and states, including California, the largest economy in the country. Now Minneapolis workers are launching a ballot initiative to win $15/hour this year, and they need your support!

We know big business and the Chamber of Commerce will spend big to defeat the $15/hr initiative in Minneapolis.

Can you donate $15 today to support this movement?

Low wage workers have pushed the demand for a $15 minimum wage into the center of American politics as a concrete answer to one of the central issues affecting workers – income inequality.  Already, national polls show 63% of the public supporting a $15 minimum wage. This shows how quickly things change when workers take action.

15 Now Minnesota has been fighting an uphill battle to win $15/hour in the face of a powerful business establishment, and local politicians who have refused to take meaningful initiative to win.

The Minneapolis area is home to 17 Fortune 500 companies – the highest concentration in the country – yet also some of the worst racial inequities in the nation. A staggering 48% of black people in Minneapolis live in poverty, compared to 13% of white people. Over 100,000 workers in Minneapolis are still below a living wage.

To address this, 15 Now Minnesota is working with a powerful coalition of community organizations, workers’ centers, and unions to launch a ballot initiative this year. They are planning on collecting 20,000 signatures, 10% of all registered voters in Minneapolis, building a base challenge to big business politics in city hall.

They’ve already collected 7,000 signatures in the first two weeks!

If they win, Minneapolis will have the highest minimum wage of any city inland from the coasts! It would be a dramatic example for the Midwest, one of the hardest hit regions in the country by the economic crisis, where workers have borne the brunt of the economic devastation.

Working people have tremendous power when we work collectively towards a goal. I want to appeal to all those who support a $15/hour minimum wage to support this movement today by donating $15.

Donate today at Votefor15MN.org

Solidarity,
Kshama Sawant







Donate to the movement to win $15/hour in Minneapolis



















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