by DC Jobs with Justice | Jul 11, 2014 | Actions & Events, Minimum Wage Increase, Paid Sick And Safe Days, Press
On July 1st the coalition of workers, business owners, faith leaders, labor organizations and community groups came together to celebrate the increase in the minimum wage and the extended legislation of paid sick days that they worked so hard to pass through the City Council. The press conference was held in front of Flava @ Wa-zo-bia Restaurant. We had an incredible turnout from various press outlets and some of our own were highlighted. Check these out! NBC 4– “DC Minimum Wage Increase Begins”: http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/New-Minimum-Wage-DC-Money-Wages-Pay-265381311.html Washington Post– “D.C. Minimum Wage Measures Won’t Make 2014 Ballot”: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/mike-debonis/wp/2014/07/01/d-c-minimum-wage-measures-unlikely-to-make-2014-ballot/ WNEW 99.1FM – “D.C.’s New Minimum Wage Goes Into Effect Today”: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/mike-debonis/wp/2014/07/01/d-c-minimum-wage-measures-unlikely-to-make-2014-ballot/ City Paper– “The Minimum Wage Will Increase Tomorrow in D.C.”: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2014/06/30/the-minimum-wage-will-increase-tomorrow-in-d-c/ In the Capital– “D.C.’s Minimum Wage Is Going to Increase on Tuesday”: http://inthecapital.streetwise.co/2014/06/30/minimum-wage-increase-dc-950-july-1/ CSN Washington– “D.C.’s New Minimum Wage: What to Know”: http://www.csnwashington.com/article/dcs-new-minimum-wage-what-know WJLA-ABC 7– “Minimum Wage Jumps to $9.50, Will Continue to Climb Until 2016”: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/07/d-c-minimum-wage-jumps-to-9-50-will-continue-to-climb-until-2016-104679.html Voice of Russia– “DC Rolls Out Annual Minimum Wage Increase”: http://voiceofrussia.com/us/2014_07_02/DC-Rolls-Out-Annual-Minimum-Wage-Increase-4077/ Telemundo– “Aumentan Salario MÃnimo en D.C.”: http://www.holaciudad.com/aumentan-salario-minimo-dc-n461774 Washington Hispanic– “Minimum Wage Hike, a Triumph for Washington DC”: http://www.washingtonhispanic.com/nota18350.html WYTV– “States, Including Ohio, Debate Minimum Wage”:...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Jul 9, 2014 | Actions & Events, Minimum Wage Increase, Paid Sick And Safe Days, Press
On July 1st the coalition of workers, business owners, faith leaders, labor organizations and community groups came together to celebrate the increase in the minimum wage and the extended legislation of paid sick days that they worked so hard to pass through the City Council. The press conference was held in front of Flava @ Wa-zo-bia Restaurant. Speakers included D.C. workers, Joslyn Williams, President of the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO; Elissa Silverman, former policy analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, Rev. Graylan Hagler from Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ, and Monica Kamen from Jews United for Justice. We had a great press turnout and a great turnout of supporters! Thank you to all the speakers, the workers, and everyone who came to support DC worker’s rights! Thank you to all the people that stayed to canvass the neighborhood after the press conference to ensure that workers are fully aware of these rights. Check out the rest of the photos of this event on our Facebook...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Nov 17, 2012 | Campaigns, Paid Sick And Safe Days
Imagine that you work in a restaurant to support your family. One day you wake up feeling awful. Lying in bed, you realize that if you don’t go to work, you’re not going to be able to pay the rent. Even worse, imagine that you are healthy, but your young child is sick. Can you afford to take the day off to care for him? Or will you send him to school while you work, and just hope he gets better? This scenerio is all too real for thousands of workers in DC. In 2008, Washington, D.C. passed a groundbreaking law allowing many workers in the District of Columbia to take paid time off to recover from illness or instances of domestic violence. However, this law does not cover everyone. Tipped restaurant workers were excluded from the law, even though these workers can still get sick and spread illness to others. Nearly 80% of restaurant workers cannot earn paid sick days, and as a result, almost 60% of restaurant workers in the District reported preparing, cooking, and serving food while sick. This increases the health risks to workers and consumers. Food is not sustainable without sustainable jobs for food workers. JUFJ is working as a part of the Paid Sick Days for All Coalition to demand justice from our favorite restaurants. Join the Paid Sick Days for All campaign to ensure that no worker has to choose between taking care of their health and earning a day’s pay. Healthy Workers, Healthy Businesses, A Healthy...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Oct 23, 2012 | Campaigns, Paid Sick And Safe Days
On Tuesday, March 4th in front of a packed and tense audience of over 100 people, the DC Council voted unanimously to pass the Accrued Sick and Safe Days Act of 2007. The vote makes DC only the second city in the country to have a paid sick days law, and the first to provide paid time off to victims of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault. rnrnUnder the new law, full-time workers at businesses with over 100 employees will earn 7 days a year to take care of their own health, the health of family members, or address a domestic violence situation. Workers at businesses with 25-99 employees will earn 5 days, and workers at businesses of 24 or fewer will earn 3 days. Part-time workers will earn paid time on a pro-rated basis. rnrnWhile winning this groundbreaking bill over huge opposition was a big victory, we also suffered some losses: rnrn*By a 7-6 vote, the Council approved a change that says workers have to be at a job for a full year or 1,000 hours before earning paid sick time. This will especially hurt young workers, workers in high-turnover service sector jobs, and people re-entering the workforce, such as ex-offenders and TANF recipients. Councilmembers Vincent Gray, David Catania and Jack Evans pushed through this change, and Councilmembers Harry Thomas, Mary Cheh, Kwame Brown and Yvette Alexander voted in support.rnrn*The Council denied sick and safe days to several categories of workers, including tipped restaurant workers, health care workers in “premium pay programs”, and students employed through University work-study programs.rnrn*The law will also allow businesses to apply for an...
