The Final State of the Union
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Summary:
We're looking for Champions of Change who are helping people earn a living wage.
No one who works full-time in America, the wealthiest nation on earth, should have to raise their family in poverty. That is a fundamental value – a North Star -- guiding the work of President Obama and his administration.
Despite a remarkable recovery that has pulled us out of the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes, too many working people are still forced to depend on public assistance just to scrape by. Too many have to get the family dinner at the food pantry. In my travels, I’ve met a baggage handler who can’t afford a birthday gift for his son, a retail worker who was sleeping in her car with her three children and so many others who deserve the dignity of a fair wage.
The President has repeatedly called for Congress to reward hard work by increasing the national minimum wage, which has been stuck at $7.25 per hour for nearly seven years. Those calls have gone unanswered.
But in states, cities and communities nationwide, leaders of all kinds are finding innovative ways to help their neighbors get the raise they need and deserve. In fact, since President Obama’s call to action in 2013, 18 states and more than 40 cities and counties have acted on their own. This is one of those issues, without question, where leadership is coming to Washington and not from Washington.
We want to honor people at the local level who’ve shown that leadership on this issue, and we need your help. Through its Champions of Change program, the White House lifts up the work of extraordinary people changing lives in their communities. This is your chance to nominate someone you know and admire for helping people earn a living wage. Nominees may include:
- Grassroots leaders who have worked to organize efforts to raise wages in their community or state
- Business owners who have raised wages for their employees
- Workers who are fighting for better pay and benefits, including paid leave and family sick leave
- Citizens who used innovative tactics to engage the public to support raising wages
Click the below to submit your nomination by the deadline of Thursday, May 12th at 5:00 PM ET.
We look forward to hearing stories of heroic work by people in your community.
