wfn.org | Kennedy and church leaders advocate living wage

["NCC News" <pjenks@ncccusa.org>]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE			

CONTACT: Leslie Tune, 202/481-6927 
		  Email: Ltune@ncccusa.org 

-- Faith and Community Groups Hold "Living Wage Days" Events Across Nation to
Honor MLK Birthday With Urgent Call To Raise the Minimum Wage

-- Sen. Kennedy joins religious leaders at "Church of the Presidents" in
Quincy, Mass.
-- Rev. Dr. James Forbes Jr. preaches on MLK and living wage at Riverside
Church, N.Y.
-- UUA President Sinkford preaches on raising minimum wage in San Diego
-- More than 60 events in Ohio, 20 in Arkansas; Many more from Arizona to
West Virginia

Washington, D.C., January 13, 2006 -- The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did
not dream that today's minimum wage would have much less buying power than it
did in 1968. "There is nothing but a lack of social vision to prevent us from
paying an adequate wage to every American [worker] whether he is a hospital
worker, laundry worker, maid or day laborer," Dr. King said nearly 40 years
ago in his book, "Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?"

Today, most Americans support a higher minimum wage, but Congress has not
raised it in 100 months. The minimum wage has lost nearly a fifth of its
value since the last increase in 1997 to $5.15 an hour, and would be more
than $9 an hour if it had kept pace with inflation since 1968.

To honor Dr. King with action as well as words, the Let Justice Roll Living
Wage Campaign has sponsored "Living Wage Days," involving worship services,
rallies and other community events in 26 states and counting. Services and
events on January 14-16 and beyond will highlight the urgent need to raise
the minimum wage on both the federal and state level. The Let Justice Roll
Living Wage Campaign is working with campaigns to raise the minimum wage in a
growing number of states, including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado,
Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

"We have a biblical mandate to speak out against injustice," said the Rev.
Dr. Robert W. Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches
USA. "The minimum wage is supposed to keep people out of poverty, not keep
them in it. We will use our resources to make sure the minimum wage is
increased to a level respecting the dignity and livelihoods of low-wage
workers." The NCC is a sponsor of the Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaign.

"The response to Living Wage Days has been extraordinary and reinforces our
conviction that most Americans believe in justice, and a just minimum wage is
long overdue," said the Rev. Dr. Paul Sherry, the Let Justice Roll Campaign
coordinator and co-author with political analyst Holly Sklar of the new
report, "A Just Minimum Wage: Good for Workers, Business and Our Future." 

Here are some "Living Wage Days" highlights:

-- Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), Edgar and other religious leaders will
participate in a worship service at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 16 at United
First Parish Church Unitarian in Quincy, Mass, known as "The Church of the
Presidents" because it is the burial site of John Adams and John Quincy
Adams. Senator Kennedy introduced legislation to increase the federal minimum
wage twice in 2005, and will keep working to give American workers the raise
they deserve.

-- At The Riverside Church in New York City on Sunday, January 15, the Rev.
Dr. James Forbes, the senior minister, will address the urgency of raising
the minimum wage in his Martin Luther King Jr. birthday sermon. Rev. Forbes
wrote the foreword to "A Just Minimum Wage: Good for Workers, Business and
Our Future" and is a leading voice in the Let Justice Roll Campaign.

-- In San Diego, Rev. William Sinkford, President of the Unitarian
Universalist Association of Congregations, will preach about raising the
minimum wage at the First Unitarian Universalist church.

-- In Ohio, Let Justice Roll volunteers are participating in more than 60
events throughout the state, including major events in Akron, Cincinnati and
Cleveland, and will be getting petitions signed for the ballot initiative to
raise Ohio's minimum wage. Rev. Sherry will participate in a training and
petition drive beginning at the Euclid Avenue United Church of Christ in
Cleveland on January 16 at 9:30 a.m.

-- In Arkansas, more than 20 events will take place across the state,
including United Methodist, Roman Catholic, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship,
Lutheran, Jewish, Unitarian Universalist and Muslim congregations.

The Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaign is composed of more than 50 faith
and community organizations who have joined together to raise the minimum
wage at the federal level and in selected states. In the words of the
Campaign, "The minimum wage is where society draws the line: This low and no
lower. Our bottom line is this: A job should keep you out of poverty, not
keep you in it."

Additional information about the Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaign is
online at www.letjusticeroll.org, including resources for "Living Wage Days"
events, state campaign information, and "A Just Minimum Wage," which was
produced for the Campaign by the American Friends Service Committee and the
National Council of Churches USA.

###

EDITOR?S NOTE: Participants in the January 16 "iving Wage Days" event in
Quincy, Mass. will be available to the press for interviews. Rev. Dr. Paul
Sherry can be reached at (917) 226-5301. Holly Sklar, policy analyst and
co-author of "A Just Minimum Wage" can be reached at (617) 522-2923. To set
up interviews with Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar or for more information, media should
contact Leslie Tune at (202) 481-6927 or (202) 297-2191.  

For further information about Living Wage Days in these states contact: 

Arkansas:
Rev. Steve Copley 
President
Arkansas Interfaith Conference
Phone: 501-835-2201
Cell: 501-626-9220
Email: scopley438@aol.com

Ohio:
Katy Heins
Lead Organizer, Let Justice Roll Ohio
Phone: 513-314-0074
letjusticerollohio@yahoo.com

Pennsylvania:
The Rev. Sandra L. Strauss
Director of Public Advocacy
Pennsylvania Council of Churches
Phone: 717- 545-4761
s.strauss@pachurches.org

West Virginia:
Rick Wilson
Project Director
American Friends Service Committee
West Virginia Economic Justice Project
Phone: 304-529-3890
Cell: 304-412-1924
Rwilson@afsc.org

For additional contacts about state minimum wage campaigns contact:
 
Arizona:
Sarah Markey
Head Organizer
Arizona ACORN (offices in Phoenix, Glendale, Tucson, Mesa)
Phone: 602-573-2361
azacorn@acorn.org

Colorado:
Jeff Robinson
ACORN Minimum Wage Campaign
Phone: 202-378-8023
polcampaigns@acorn.org

Michigan:
David Lagstein
Head Organizer
Michigan ACORN
Phone: 313-963-1840
miacorn@acorn.org

Ohio:
Katy Gall
Head Organizer
Ohio ACORN (offices in Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, Akron and Cincinnati)
Phone: 614-390-1042
ohacorn@acorn.org