Press Releases

Let Justice Roll welcomes Senate vote raising minimum wage: urges a clean, final bill

Feb 1 2007

The Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaign, a national coalition of 91 religious, labor, and community organizations, thanks the Senate for voting to raise the minimum wage. This is a long-overdue step forward for millions of American workers and their families. We are grateful the Senate heard the voices of millions of working people and their allies in faith, labor and community groups such as ours.

While Let Justice Roll is very pleased with the vote, we are aware that harmful and extraneous items were also included in the bill. We are concerned that these provisions will...

Business owners from every state say higher minimum wage helps business

Jan 29 2007

Costco CEO, Small Business Majority, US Women's Chamber of Commerce, Business Leaders Nationwide Urge Senate To Raise Minimum Wage

New York, NY -- For a record-breaking 10 years, the federal minimum wage has not been raised largely due to the lobbying efforts of elements of the business community and their allies in Congress. However, a fast-growing campaign led by small and large business men and women are saying a higher minimum wage is in fact good for business. While the Congress debates the issue, states that have led the way by raising...

Hundreds of business leaders tell Congress to raise minimum wage

Jan 19 2007

Washington, DC -- Business owners and executives across the nation are telling Congress that a $5.15 minimum wage hurts business, workers and the economy. The House passed a clean bill to raise the minimum wage. Now, it's the Senate's turn.

Speaking today at a Senate press conference, Lew Prince, co-owner of Vintage Vinyl in St. Louis, MO, says, "A minimum wage increase makes straightforward economic sense. It means more money in the hands of people who are...

Over 1,000 Faith Leaders urge Congress to raise minimum wage

Jan 8 2007

Washington, DC -- Let Justice Roll, a nonpartisan coalition of ninety faith and community organizations, today sent a letter to members of Congress signed by more than 1,000 Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith leaders from across the country. Anticipating House debate on minimum wage this Wednesday, Jan. 10, faith leaders urge congressional support for The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 (HR 2), which would increase the federal minimum wage to $7.25 from the $5.15 level set in 1997.

...

Business Leaders and minimum wage organizer on landslide victories

Nov 13 2006

WHAT'S NEXT? POST-ELECTION TELECONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

Business leaders joined national Let Justice Roll campaign leaders and minimum wage ballot organizers from Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Montana and Ohio to analyze the historic minimum wage election victories and look ahead to future state campaigns and congressional legislation to raise the $5.15-an-hour federal minimum wage.

EXCERPTS from the teleconference:

...

Landslide for Minimum Wage: what happened, what's next, analyzed in Nov. 9 teleconference

Nov 8 2006

Minimum wage hikes won in every state they were on the ballot, winning by a resounding 76 percent in Missouri, 73 percent in Montana, 69 percent in Nevada, 66 percent in Arizona, 56 percent in Ohio and 53 percent in Colorado (latest totals)

Americans across the nation voted for a change in priorities, insisting on the fundamental fairness value of Let Justice's Roll message: A job should keep you out of poverty, not keep you in it.

...

Values vote, minimum wage referenda analyzed in post-election teleconference

Nov 6 2006

State minimum wage ballot organizers (OH, MT, MO, AZ and CO); leaders of the national Let Justice Roll campaign; business leaders; and a low-wage worker will address the topics below and answer reporters' questions on a telephone press conference two days after the election:

What happened with state minimum wage referenda, and why?
How did the "values vote" impact the election? How effective were
faith-based efforts to frame poverty wages as a moral issue?
...

Business owners, CEOs say higher minimum wage good for business

Oct 31 2006

Cleveland, OH -- Business owners, executives and venture capitalists around the nation -- including the states where minimum wage is on the ballot Nov. 7 -- are calling for a higher minimum wage to pay workers fairly, boost business and strengthen the economy.

The statement released today calls for raising the wage floor above $5.15 an hour, noting, "Minimum wage workers have less buying power than minimum wage workers had half a century ago. We cannot build a strong 21st century economy on a 1950s' wage floor."

...

Let Justice Roll mobilizes values voters with hundreds of minimum wage events across U.S.

Sep 27 2006

OCTOBER "LIVING WAGE DAYS" Build Momentum For Ballot Measures in Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Montana and Ohio

New York City -- As Congress continues to stall on raising the minimum wage, the national Let Justice Roll Campaign will hold hundreds of rallies, workshops, religious services and prayer breakfasts in October to build support for raising the minimum wage at the state and federal level.

Let Justice Roll, a fast-growing nonpartisan partnership of...

Let Justice roll raising state minimum wages, pushing federal hike

Jul 13 2006

Washington, D.C., North Carolina and Pennsylvania are the latest states in a growing movement to raise the minimum wage for working Americans. Today, North Carolina Governor Mike Easley signed into law the bill raising the state minimum wage. Pennsylvania’s governor did the same just last Sunday.

"From Arkansas, Michigan and West Virginia to Pennsylvania and North Carolina, Americans have rejected the $5.15 an hour minimum wage as too low," said Rev. Dr. Paul Sherry, the Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaign national coordinator. "A job should keep you out of poverty, not...