How’s this for a whopper? Last week, U.S. Labor Secretary Alex Acosta had this to say about our $15/hr nationwide minimum wage bill: “To those that are looking for the $15-an-hour minimum wage, the question is: How many jobs are you willing to give up?”

Fine, Acosta – you want to play that game? Let’s count the ways you’re outright wrong:

  • Decades of data prove that raising wages doesn’t cause job loss. Economists looked at minimum wage increases in states between 1979 and 2016 and found that when wages went up, employment didn’t change – but workers took home more. In Seattle the $15 wage has been wildly successful with NO JOB LOSS and strong economic growth.
  • The rich are getting even richer while the poor just get poorer. Last year, billionaires increased their fortunes by $2.5 billion per day, according to Oxfam. In the U.S., the top 1% own 50% of the stock market. Meanwhile, across the globe, the poorest 50% of people saw their share of the wealth go down by 11%.
  • And wealth inequality is an even bigger problem for Black and Latino families. The typical white family owns $147,000, while the typical Black family owns just $3,600 and typical Latino family owns just $6,600.

Bottom line? We won’t be stopped by anti-labor, corporate-backed politicians using scare tactics and spreading lies. We’re just going to keep organizing. And winning.

Text “WORK” to 64336 to join the fight to win $15 an hour and #UnionsForAll.

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