To: Retailers in Downtown Chicago
Help Tyree get a wage he can live on
Retailers and restaurants in downtown Chicago owe their success to the hard-working employees who serve their customers every day. We demand that they provide $15/hour wages for food and retail workers in Chicago. A $15 wage floor and the freedom to form a union will allow workers to stand on their own and afford basics like groceries and rent for their families.
Why is this important?
My name is Tyree Johnson, and after working at McDonald’s for 20 years, I still make minimum wage.
I’m not a teenager working for extra cash—and neither are most of my coworkers. Today most low-wage workers are adults, many with families that depend on the income from these jobs to keep a roof over their heads and put food on the table.
The reality is that most jobs created since the recession have been low-wage jobs. And they’re here to stay, because food service, retail, and healthcare jobs can’t be outsourced to China or Bangladesh. So if we want to create a strong economy and rebuild the middle class, we have to make sure workers in these growing industries—workers like me—earn enough to support our families.
And $8.25 an hour, the minimum wage in Illinois, just isn’t enough to live on. In fact, the minimum wage would be over $20/hour if it had kept up with inflation and rising productivity
That’s why I’m joining with food and retail employees at stores on the Magnificent Mile and throughout Chicago to win $15/hour and the right to form a union without interference. We call it the Fight for 15.
We’re standing together because we believe that when you work for some of the wealthiest corporations in America, you shouldn’t have to rely on public assistance programs just to afford the basics. We believe that when you put in fair day’s work, you should get a fair day’s pay.
Working full-time at $15 an hour means $30,000 a year. That sum will allow us to stand on our own and help support our families. It’s enough to get workers like me to spend more at local businesses and spur the city’s economy. And it means Chicago taxpayers won’t have to make up the difference when profitable companies don’t pay us enough to make ends meet and we’re forced to rely on public assistance.
There’s so much at stake for our city, and we can’t do it without you. Will you sign this petition in support of our campaign for fair pay and the right to join a union without intimidation?
I’m not a teenager working for extra cash—and neither are most of my coworkers. Today most low-wage workers are adults, many with families that depend on the income from these jobs to keep a roof over their heads and put food on the table.
The reality is that most jobs created since the recession have been low-wage jobs. And they’re here to stay, because food service, retail, and healthcare jobs can’t be outsourced to China or Bangladesh. So if we want to create a strong economy and rebuild the middle class, we have to make sure workers in these growing industries—workers like me—earn enough to support our families.
And $8.25 an hour, the minimum wage in Illinois, just isn’t enough to live on. In fact, the minimum wage would be over $20/hour if it had kept up with inflation and rising productivity
That’s why I’m joining with food and retail employees at stores on the Magnificent Mile and throughout Chicago to win $15/hour and the right to form a union without interference. We call it the Fight for 15.
We’re standing together because we believe that when you work for some of the wealthiest corporations in America, you shouldn’t have to rely on public assistance programs just to afford the basics. We believe that when you put in fair day’s work, you should get a fair day’s pay.
Working full-time at $15 an hour means $30,000 a year. That sum will allow us to stand on our own and help support our families. It’s enough to get workers like me to spend more at local businesses and spur the city’s economy. And it means Chicago taxpayers won’t have to make up the difference when profitable companies don’t pay us enough to make ends meet and we’re forced to rely on public assistance.
There’s so much at stake for our city, and we can’t do it without you. Will you sign this petition in support of our campaign for fair pay and the right to join a union without intimidation?