Why the Fight for $15 Matters for the Millennial Generation, and for All Women

"Every person who’s willing to put in a good day’s work deserves the chance to live with dignity and security."
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UNITED STATES - JULY 22: A protestor holds a sign in Upper Senate Park during a rally on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, July 22, 2015, to push for a raise to the minimum wage to $15 an hour. (Photo By Al Drago/CQ Roll Call) (CQ Roll Call via AP Images)Congressional Quarterly

In this op-ed, Center for American Progress President and CEO Neera Tanden talks about why the Fight for $15 matters.

Millennials have come of age in a time when the odds have been stacked against them, with our country facing declining job prospects, stalled wages, and rising inequality. Just consider this sobering fact: Today, the average 30-year-old earns roughly the same amount as a 30-year-old living in 1984 — even though our economy is now 70% more productive, and millennials are more educated than any generation that’s come before them.

Stagnant opportunity plays a significant role in maintaining disparities for women in the workforce, who still receive approximately 80 cents for every dollar paid to their male counterparts. The difference is starker for women of color: Latinx women are paid 54 cents for every dollar given to white men, while black women are paid just 64 cents.

These gaps disproportionately impact millennials — since they’re the most diverse generation in history — and explain why women bear a disproportionate amount of America’s student debt. To make matters even worse, millennials without college degrees are finding it harder and harder to support themselves, and only 13% of millennials believe they’re getting ahead in today’s economy.

Our country needs to take decisive action to jumpstart opportunity for the millennial generation, and for all hardworking Americans. That’s why a diverse coalition of workers and labor activists are banding together through the Fight for $15 movement to lift America’s minimum wage, and ensure that corporations respect workers’ right to unionize.

Unionized workers enjoy higher pay, greater benefits, and better working conditions. Unions also reduce pay gaps that exist between white men and rest of America’s workers. Unionized women earn 94 cents, on average, for every dollar paid to unionized working men, and workers of color reap larger benefits when they belong to the union.

Now, many people might believe that unions only help the workers they represent. But the truth is, they play a huge part in securing better pay for every worker in their communities.

A strong labor movement motivates non-union businesses to provide their employees with salaries and benefits that are comparable to those of unionized workplaces. Otherwise, they risk losing their workers to unionized jobs.

A weakened labor movement has the opposite effect. In fact, experts have estimated that more than 40 million American workers who don’t belong in unions still lose nearly $3,000 each year as a direct result of declining union membership. Just imagine how much of a difference that money could make in the lives of millions of families and young workers every year.

A strong labor movement also strengthens our democracy by encouraging people of modest means to vote — regardless of whether they belong to a union — and by pushing for government policies that benefit all working class Americans. We can see this playing once again out in the Fight for $15. By advocating for a $15 wage on behalf of every worker, unions can make a huge difference for tens of millions of people — more than half of whom are ages 35 and under.

The intersectional impact of the Fight for $15 reflects a larger trend in the 21st century labor movement. Today, a new generation of American workers is reshaping the identity of our country’s unions. They understand that raising the minimum wage and strengthening workers’ rights are inextricably linked with other progressive causes — from advancing racial justice, to reforming our immigration system, and ensuring that women finally receive equal pay.

Thanks to their hard work, the states of New York and California, along with a number of cities have already embraced a $15 wage. Economists have shown how these advancements will bring meaningful benefits to working-class families. New York City has also passed bills that boost the power of fast food and retail workers, while Seattle has enacted a law that allows Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize.

These kinds of reforms play a significant part in defending working people against a well-funded conservative agenda that, over the past several decades, has greatly restricted the power of unions. While three-quarters of today’s young adults hold a favorable view of unions, only about 7% of all private-sector workers are currently represented by one.

The campaign to undercut the political influence of unions — and to further rig our economy in favor of the rich — may have helped hand the presidency to Donald Trump. And despite his promises to look out for working people, Trump has already rolled back numerous policies that protect American workers during his short time in office.

To defeat this assault against American workers, the leaders of the Fight for $15 are uniting people from all backgrounds. And, as with many social movements, women are standing on the frontlines of this cause. A union and $15 wage would offer more money to take home with every paycheck — extra income that could be used to pay back student loans, reinvest in the communities by shopping at a local business, and provide families with a better life.

The Fight for $15 movement reaffirms the American belief in a simple yet powerful ideal: that every person who’s willing to put in a good day’s work deserves the chance to live with dignity and security.

In order to rebalance our economy so that it works for all people, we need to give every worker a stronger voice and the right to receive a living wage. So this Labor Day, I hope you’ll rally behind America’s unions, and urge your elected officials and your entire community to join the Fight for $15.

Related: Find Out Why These Minimum Wage Workers Across 340 Cities Banned Together

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