The-Ave.US

Today, more than 1,500 Black Friday protests against Walmart — organized by our friends at Making Change at Walmart — are being waged by workers and shoppers who have had enough.

We recently told you about how Walmart is asking its barely-getting-by employees to provide food to its homeless and hungry employees. We were outraged by it, and so were you. You overwhelmed us with your support for raising the minimum wage. You demanded we support all workers and fight for a living wage that’s more than $10 an hour too. And you wanted us to take on other corporations that leave their employees in poverty.

So I wanted to make sure you know: for us, this isn’t just about Walmart. And it isn’t just about one piece of legislation. It is about fighting to protect and regain all of the basic rights and services that created the American middle class — starting with wages that workers can survive on.

We know that income inequality in this country is unsustainable, and we want to be at the forefront of the movement to raise the minimum wage every single chance we get.

Outraged at income inequality in America? Then help us fight it by contributing $5 now to fuel our campaign to raise the minimum wage and force corporate America to do right by their workers.

Our minimum wage problem isn’t just unfortunate, it’s causing a crisis. There are more than 47 million working people in this country whose income still falls below the poverty line. These people want to work hard to provide for themselves and their families. They want the American dream. Instead, they are going to bed hungry. Or choosing between getting their prescriptions filled and keeping the lights on.

We can’t — and we won’t — accept poverty wages any longer. Raising the minimum wage is too important to let live or die by the fate of one bill or the whims of one house of Congress. It’s a battle we have to take to every corner of this country — to every state, to every city, and to every corporation that would rather spend its fortunes playing tricks on Wall Street than paying fair wages on Main Street.

We want to call out corporations that mistreat their employees. When Missouri, Alaska and other states vote on raising the minimum wage in 2014, we want to be there to make sure those referendums pass. And next year we want to help elect a wave of progressive politicians at every level of government who care more about the people they are elected to serve than the donors who paid for their campaign ads.

But we can’t do any of these things without your support. Chip in $5 now, and help us grow this campaign so we can challenge corporate power everywhere and finally get working Americans the wages they deserve.

Thank you for everything you do. Working together, we’re unstoppable.

– Charles

Charles Chamberlain
Executive Director, Democracy for America