And they actually have the nerve and unmitigated hypocritical gall to boast and brag about this working class betrayal:
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2014/04/07/state-lawmakers-announce-agreement-raising-minimum-wage
With this "deal" on the Minimum Wage, Minnesotans are the victims of
the biggest "bait and switch" scam in our history aside from the way the
land and resources were stolen from First Nations Peoples.
Democrats promised a real living Minimum Wage to get our votes, not
another poverty wage; then they pulled this switch to accompany the
employers and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce which these
"progressive" Democrats refer to as the "DFL Business Caucus."
Too bad "bait and switch" isn't as illegal in politics as it is in the
world of the poverty wage-paying retail sector of the economy which made
Dayton rich.
What a farce; an outright scandalous fiasco.
Not one of these directors of these foundation-funded Democratic Party
front groups would work for $9.50 an hour. Nor would the AFL-CIO's Shar
Knutson or millionaire labor "leaders" like Eliot Seide--- how has this
kind of pathetic cost-of-living increase worked out for Eliot Seide's
AFSCME members?
Anyone got a calculator? What is 2.5% times $9.50? These Dumb Donkeys think we are all stupid.
Not once has the mainstream corporate controlled media indicated this letter was being circulated:
January 2014
An Open Letter . . .
TO: Governor Mark Dayton and the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party Legislative Caucus.
FROM: Your Constituents
Enough! We are not waiting any longer!
As DFL candidates, you campaigned on a promise to enact legislation
that provides low-wage workers a real, living wage — not just a
“minimum” wage.
Your campaign language explicitly called for
“workers being entitled to living wages!” It promised a Living Wage
Act, but no progress was made in your first super-majority session.
All it would take, you said, was for Minnesotans to give the DFL a
super-majority. Well, we voters delivered it to you! You have it! But
now, instead of advancing Living Wage legislation, the DFL is floating
another “minimum wage” bill that will just perpetuate poverty wages for
many Minnesota workers!
For years, the DFL leadership has
claimed Republicans were the lone obstacle to establishing a Living Wage
in our state. That obstacle has been removed. You are now in the
driver’s seat!
We, the workers of Minnesota, gave you the legislative votes to enact the Living Wage legislation you promised us.
We expect you now to do so. You could call it “The Minnesota Living Wage Act of 2014.”
Most importantly, we need to begin with a realistic dollar amount.
Living Wages need to be calculated based on realistic levels of
cost-of-living. U.S. Census data suggests at least $15 per hour; while,
based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), hourly wages of
$22 and $26 at 40 hrs/week are needed to cover basic necessities. When
making decisions on determining basic needs for a dignified life, the
testimony from low-income Minnesotans should also be taken into
consideration.
A Living Wage must also be subject to regular
cost-of-living adjustments. The Consumer Price Index is our best
indicator, and it should be used to adjust a new Minnesota Living Wage
level quarterly or at least semi-annually.
If you should fail
to enact such legislation, we will assume that you were just baiting us
with nice-sounding campaign rhetoric, and that you are pulling a switch
on us by simply advancing more employer-friendly “minimum wage”
legislation, that does nothing to alleviate the hardships of Minnesota’s
working poor.
Perhaps you think any increase is better than nothing. We don’t!
Minnesota has long been considered a progressive bellwether. Do
something significant now for her working men and women. It is what
everybody morally deserves — the prospect of a dignified life.
Be courageous. Lead our state — and our nation — in securing the right of every worker to earn a decent living.
It can begin with the Minnesota Living Wage Act of 2014.
You can make it happen!
Sincerely,
Your fellow Minnesotans
Check out our National Conference Call on April 27 seeking to find a
national approach to making the Minimum Wage a real living wage:
http://unitingpeopleworks4us.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-national-approach-for-making-minimum.html
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