Whatever happened to $15/hr?

[qwlauren35]

I hear so much about Medicare for All that I stopped hearing about raising the minimum wage.

I don't know why.

Four years ago, it was so high on the agenda. Every candidate was talking about it. Now, not so much.

[relayerbob]

1. Biden has made it clear it's a staple of his campaign

Just a lot more noise this time around.

[qwlauren35]

3. I looked on his website

I couldn't find it.

Do you have a link?

[relayerbob]

4. https://joebiden.com/empowerworkers/

[Alex4Martinez]

6. Here it is from your link

Increase the federal minimum wage to $15. As Vice President, Biden helped get state and local laws increasing the minimum wage across the finish line – including in New York State – and has supported eliminating the tipped minimum wage. He firmly believes all Americans are owed a raise, and it’s well past time we increase the federal minimum wage to $15 across the country. This increase would include workers who aren’t currently earning the minimum wage, like the farmworkers who grow our food and domestic workers who care for our aging and sick and for those with disabilities. As president, Biden will also support indexing the minimum wage to the median hourly wage so that low-wage workers’ wages keep up with those of middle income workers.

[qwlauren35]

12. Thank you very much.

Next time anyone says that Biden didn't adopt anything from Bernie's platform, I will point to this.

This was Bernie's number in 2016. Now it's Biden's.

So Bernie has pulled Biden to the left.


In my opinion, Bernie's PLATFORM (not Bernie) is good for the party. Pulls it to the left. Also in my opinion, 30% of Democratic voters like what Bernie is saying. That's a nice healthy chunk.

I think as a result, in 2024, we will see more progressive candidates. Win-win.

If Bernie would just stick to pushing his platform without the name calling, and endorse down-stream progressive candidates, I would be a very happy camper.

[betsuni]

16. $15 minimum wage was in the 2016 platform. Not Bernie's idea, he got it from Fight for Fifteen.

Fight for Fifteen protests started in 2012 and "It grew into one of the largest waves of activism in recent history."

"The demonstrations grabbed headlines as they gathered momentum around the country. The campaign started to see results as over half of U.S. States and more cities went on to raise minimum wages, a few of them to $15. ... High-profile politicians like Bernie Sanders began joining the rallies."

http://www.npr.org/2020/26/808113169/gives-me-hope-how-low-paid-workers-rose-up-against-stagnant-wages

But Bernie said last year to Rachel Maddow: "And many of the ideas that I brought forth, $15 an hour minimum wage, 'Hey, Bernie, you're crazy. That's too extreme.' In a few days, the U.S. House of Representatives is goin to pass a $15 an hour minimum wage."

No Democrats thought fifteen dollars is "too extreme" or radical. A two or three dollar difference between higher minimum wage bills is not extreme. Nothing sacred about fifteen, either.

[relayerbob]

5. Also

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/biden-calls-for-15-minimum-wage-public-option-health-plan-in-first-campaign-speech-2019-04-29

[relayerbob]

10. Because this is an argument that ended 4 years ago?

[Hoyt]

2. Since several weeks ago, those $12 - $17 an hour jobs everyone has criticized are the good ole days.

That was one of Sanders' ideas that I thought had merit and were possible to enact, especially in high-cost areas. Fortunately, a number of states and cities have passed requirements for $15, or close, over a period of years. I'm afraid, the new CVirus economy might slow that down a bit.

[Iggo]

13. Those are the people we're counting on to keep us supplied and fed right now. Funny, ain't it.

[NCProgressive]

17. It was NOT Sanders' idea

He copied it from "Fight for fifteen" campaign.

Sanders has never had any "original" ideas - all his positions are copied from other people's work.

[Hoyt]

18. He pushed it, and I'm no Sanders fan.

[catrose]

11. Elizabeth Warren's suggested bail-out restrictions included a $15/hr minimum wage for workers

[Vivienne235729]

14. Didn't it prove to not be effective? The higher costs just got rolled into the price of things

[brush]

15. Jobs are on furlough and that's on the back burer.