“At the end of the day, people want to be able to put food on the table and save up to go on vacation every once in a while and to not have to worry about medical bills and school bills,’’ said Rochelle, the director of a New Haven-based nonprofit. “They want to have a decent way of life … a happy, middle class life. A lot of people in our community are working class and they’re struggling. … If we adjusted our minimum wage to keep up with inflation from the 1970s, we wouldn’t have the mess we’re in where people can’t keep their heads above water.”