Raise Up Wisconsin!

What’s the best way to boost Wisconsin’s economy?

A. Cut taxes for the rich.B. Reduce the deficit.C. Eliminate regulations.D. Raise wages.

Q.

What’s the best way to boost Wisconsin’s economy?

Q.

A. Cut taxes for the rich.B. Reduce the deficit.C. Eliminate regulations.D. Raise wages.

• Jobs should pay enough for workers to meet their basic needs without public assistance.

• When jobs don’t pay enough, workers can’t spend enough to keep the economy going.

• Higher wages increase consumer spending, and that creates more jobs.

Basic economics

Bottom line: Raising the wage floor helps not only individuals and families, but our economy and communities

FACTS

• The median income in America, adjusted for inflation, has declined 13% over the last four decades

• The purchasing power of the federal minimum wage today ($7.25) is $3.30 less than it was in 1968

• Today’s economy is generating mostly minimum wage jobs; by 2020, 48.2% of all workerswill be in low-wage service jobs

• More than half of Black men in MKE are jobless

• Real per capita income in the Milwaukee suburbs grew at ten times the rate of the city

• Black median family income in metro Milwaukee fell from 65.1% of white family income in 1970, to 39.5% in 1990 .

• The proportion of metropolitan Milwaukee blacks living in high poverty neighborhoods rose from 8.4% in 1970 to 46.7% in 1990.

• Unionized workers earned 20.8% more than their non-union counterparts in metro Milwaukee

•

Wages are too low

1. CORPORATIONS HELD DOWN WAGES

• Workers fell behind while corporate profits soared

How did this happen?

PERCENT OF GDP (national income)

CORPORATE PROFITS

WAGES

1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

1. CORPORATIONS HELD DOWN WAGES

• Workers fell behind while corporate profits soared

2. “TRICKLE DOWN” POLICIES FAILED

• The top 1% now hold as much wealth as the bottom 95%

How did this happen?

1. CORPORATIONS HELD DOWN WAGES

• Workers fell behind while corporate profits soared

2. “TRICKLE DOWN” POLICIES FAILED

• The top 1% now hold as much wealth as the bottom 95%

3. WORKERS LOST BARGAINING POWER

• Union membership is at an all-time low: 12% (7% in the private sector)

How did this happen?

Shrinking middle class30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0

UNION MEMBERSHIP RATE

1967 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

54%

52%

50%

48%

46%

44%

42%

MIDDLE CLASS SHARE OF

NATIONAL INCOME

• Increase the federal/state minimum wage

• Institute local living wage ordinances

• Call on governments to use their purchasing power to incentivize higher wages

• Support workers trying to form unions

• Say NO to “trickle-down” and YES to bottom up & middle-out economics

What we can do

We are the true job creators

• Unlike high-income folks, workers in low-wage jobs spend virtually every dollar they earn – pumping money into local economies and creating more customers for businesses

• Raising the minimum wage to just $9 would add $21 billion to the economy and lead to 120,000 new jobs - IMAGINE what $15/hr could do

Fuel for our economy

“The more people make, the better lives they're going to have and the better consumers they're going to be.” –Costco founder Jim Sinegal

MYTH: INCREASING WAGES WILL CAUSE JOB LOSS

FACTS:

• Historically, unemployment declined following minimum wage increases in the ’60s and ’70s

• Recent studies found that raising wages now will have a positive effect on the economy and lower unemployment

• A growing number of business owners are calling for a higher wages because it will increase consumer spending – which will create more jobs

Tackling the myths

Tackling the myths

Profits (2011)

CEO Pay (2011)

McDonald’s $5.5 billion $8.8 million

Burger King $88.1 million $4.0 million

Wendy’s $9.9 million $16.5 million

YUM! Brands

$1.3 billion $20.4 million

Domino’s $105.4 million $6.3 million

Papa John’s $55.7 million $2.7 million

MYTH: RAISING WAGES HURTS MOM-AND-POPS

FACTS:

• Two-thirds of all low-wage workers are employed by big corporations, not small businesses

• The vast majority of those corporations (mostly retail, fast food) are profitable despite the recession

• The 50 largest paid their CEOs an average $9.4 million last year

MYTH: MOST FAST FOOD WORKERS ARE TEENAGERS

FACTS:

• The median age of fast food workers is 28

• Many have worked in fast food for years and are raising kids of their own

Tackling the myths

Tackling the mythsMYTH: MORE EDUCATION WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM

FACTS:

• Only 20% of current jobs require a bachelor’s degree (fewer jobs than are needed for the 30% of adults who have graduated college.)

• Many Milwaukee low wage workers (approximately 35%) have a college degree

• Education is important – but not the answer if half the jobs in our economy don’t pay a living wage.

Workers are rising up

Workers are rising up

NEW YORK FAST FOOD WORKERS

CHICAGO RETAIL & FAST

FOOD WORKERS

WAL-MART WORKERS NATIONWIDE

Here in WisconsinMOST OF THE JOB GROWTH HAS BEEN IN LOW-WAGE

INDUSTRIES

• Almost all workers in fast-food and retail make less than $8/hour – even if they’ve worked for the employer for years.

• Some janitorial companies pay their workers $8/hr or less – with no benefits – and only give workers 20-25 hours per week.

• Home care and Head Start employers – who receive money from and through local government – are paying poverty wages with inaccessible or zero benefits.

Here in WisconsinRAISE WAGES IN WISCONSIN

• Workers across the State-- from Milwaukee to Madison to Wausau, from McDonald’s to Dollar Tree to janitors and call center operators -- are standing up and demanding more for their families.

• Thousands of workers have signed petitions to increase wages and benefits and give workers more respect on the job

• We must demand that our money isn’t spent creating poverty wage jobs. Any job created with public money should be a good family supporting job.

How you can help• Sign up to help and join with workers in your

community to help build a better WI

• Sign the petition

• Meet with elected officials and call on state and federal lawmakers to Raise the Minimum Wage to at least $10.10/Hr and have it be indexed to inflation

• Stand with workers at a worksite action

• Support Local “Living Wage” Ordinances

• Spread the word!