Brostoff calls for Increase in Minimum Wage
Jonathan Brostoff, candidate for State Assembly District 19, released a statement today in observance of International Workers’ Day.
Jonathan Brostoff, candidate for State Assembly District 19, released a statement today in observance of International Workers’ Day.
“May 1 — May Day — is many things to many people. For some, it’s a chance to dress up and dance around the maypole. For many, it doubles as International Workers’ Day. Today, people throughout the country will honor workers’ struggles for fair wages, safe working conditions, and reasonable work standards.
“In Milwaukee we have a proud history of this struggle, though it is scarred by tragedy, such as Bay View’s rolling mill massacre, where in 1886 seven people were killed by state militia while advocating for an eight-hour work day. Many citizens and organizations have continued this fight to advance the situation of workers.
“Today, we are still fighting for fairness. A day after US Senate Republicans blocked a vote on a federal minimum wage bill, we can’t forget that the struggle many Americans — many Wisconsinites — face every day to make ends meet.
“Raising the minimum wage to a living wage is fundamental to improving the lives of thousands of families in Wisconsin and throughout the nation. If our leaders at the national level won’t act, we must.
“Raising the minimum wage to $10.10 in Wisconsin will help raise the quality of life for thousands of workers, increase the capacity of low-wage workers to spend, invest and save, promoting economic growth, and it will benefit women, who make up a majority of low-wage workers.
“But raising the minimum wage is not enough. We must also work to develop more living wage jobs. We must work to connect workers to the training needed for middle skills jobs. And we must rein in the gross disparity between those who earn the most and those who earn the least.
“The fight continues, and if elected as state representative to the assembly, I would be honored to help lead it.”
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.