We the undersigned believe that the federal minimum wage, now at $7.25 an hour, should be raised to $15.00 an hour. Had the minimum wage of 1968 been adjusted for inflation, it would be well above $10.00 an hour today. Productivity has also risen considerably since 1968: The typical worker is almost twice as productive today as he or she was then. Adjusted for both inflation and productivity gains, therefore, the minimum wage should be at least $15.00 an hour.

American workers deserve to make a living wage. The President and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate have proposed raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, but the minimum wage should be $15 an hour because: (1) $10.10 an hour isn't enough to lift full-time workers and their families out of poverty; (2) Unlike 45 years ago, today's typical low-wage worker is not a teenager; he or she provides all or a large percent of family income; (3) The minimum wage would be at least $15 an hour if the minimum wage we had back in 1968 were adjusted for inflation and for the productivity gains we achieved since then; (4) Because some employers now pay wages that don't lift their employees out of poverty, the rest of us pay for their Medicaid, food stamps, housing, and other assistance -- in effect, subsidizing these low-wage employers; (5) Some jobs may be lost by raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, but many more people will be lifted out of poverty; (6) The economy will also benefit as low-wage workers have more money to spend, thereby creating more jobs; and (7) At a time in our nation's history when 95 percent of all economic gains are going to the top 1 percent, raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour is the right and decent thing to do.