For Immediate Release: November 8, 2006
Contact: Betsy Leondar-Wright, Let Justice Roll 781-704-4039 (cell), betsy@classmatters.org
LANDSLIDE FOR MINIMUM WAGE: WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT'S NEXT, ANALYZED IN NOV. 9 TELECONFERENCE
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.
In Thursday?s telephone press conference, state minimum wage ballot organizers (AZ, CO, MO, MT and OH), leaders of the national Let Justice Roll campaign, a low-wage worker, and two business leaders will analyze this historic victory, discuss plans to raise federal and state minimum wages, and answer reporters' questions.
-- What was behind each state's minimum wage victory?
-- How did the new "values vote" impact the election? How effective were faith-based efforts to frame poverty wages as a moral issue?
-- How did voters respond to the competing business voices for and against raising the minimum wage?
-- What's next for campaigns to raise the minimum wage in more states and at the federal level?
WHEN: THURSDAY, NOV. 9, at 12 noon Eastern
HOW: Journalists call 1-800-362-0571 and say passcode "minimum." Journalists can ask questions of the speakers by pressing *1 (star 1) on your phone.
WHO:
-- REV. PAUL SHERRY, national coordinator, Let Justice Roll campaign and co-author, "A Just Minimum Wage: Good for Workers, Business and Our Future"
-- MONTANA: Doug Mitchell, campaign manager, Raise Montana, Helena
-- MISSOURI: Rev. Audrey Hollis, lead organizer, Let Justice Roll Missouri,St. Louis
-- SMALL-BUSINESS OWNER: Lew Prince, co-owner, Vintage Vinyl, St. Louis; featured on PBS Now show on minimum wage
-- OHIO: Rev. Tim Ahrens, senior pastor, First Congregational Church UCC, Columbus
-- LOW-WAGE WORKER: Mack McCowan, a worker affected by the Ohio results, Cleveland
-- VENTURE CAPITALIST: Adnan Durrani, president of Condor Ventures, Stamford, CT; venture partner, Blue Chip Venture Capital, Cincinnati
-- COLORADO: Terri McMaster, leader in Let Justice Roll Colorado, and director, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry, Denver
-- ARIZONA: Rev. Trina Zelle, lead organizer, Let Justice Roll Arizona, Tempe
-- REV. BOB EDGAR, general secretary, National Council of Churches, former Congressman, and author, "Middle Church: Reclaiming the Moral Values of the Faithful Majority from the Religious Right"
Mr. Prince and Mr. Durrani are inaugural signatories to the Business Owners and Executives for a Higher Minimum Wage statement (available at http://www.letjusticeroll.org/pressroom/ljrpressrelease-10-31.html.)
Let Justice Roll is a fast-growing national nonpartisan partnership of more than 80 organizations working for a higher minimum wage at the state and federal level. Leading Let Justice Roll members include the National Council of Churches-USA, American Friends Service Committee, United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, ACORN, Union for Reform Judaism, and Interfaith Worker Justice.
For more information about member groups and the Let Justice Roll campaign, visit http://www.letjusticeroll.org.
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