Several Wisconsin political groups formed The Living Wage Coalition Tuesday, aiming to raise Wisconsin’s minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $20 per hour, according to WisPolitics.
In terms of college students and their living wage, as tuition costs increase, this initiative remains important for students — especially those who are paying for their own education, Political and campaigns director for Wisconsin’s Working Families Party Maxwell Love said. This coalition comes as the UW Board of Regents recently approved a 5% tuition increase to undergraduate students for the current academic year, increasing costs by $500 to $10,506.
“What we’re aiming to do, really, is raise the floor for everybody, especially in the time when college is more expensive than ever, it’s harder than ever to pay for school and not take out loans,” Love said.
The goals of the coalition include establishing a minimum wage that responds accordingly as inflation continues, reducing the tip penalty and restoring minimum wage control to municipal governments, according to a letter sent to state legislators by the coalition.
Members of the coalition include Wisconsin Working Families Power, Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Our Wisconsin Revolution, Fighting Oligarchy Coalition and the Milwaukee Area Service & Hospitality Workers Union.
Working-class families across the state have rallied behind this initiative, which led to a press conference at the state capital being held following the letter being sent, Love said.
“There’s absolutely no reason that every democrat in Wisconsin shouldn’t be able to get on board with this,” Love said.
Over 800,000 workers in Wisconsin make less than $20 an hour, yet economists from Massachusetts Institute of Technology agree that a single adult’s living wage in Wisconsin is over $20 an hour, according to the letter.
Elected leaders must address issues that are most important to the livelihoods of working people. The minimum wage has not been enough for all Wisconsins to pay their bills at any point in anyone’s lifetime, according to the letter by the coalition.
Since there are already small businesses who pay their workers a fair and livable wage, the expectation is that many of Wisconsin’s elected officials will support this initiative, Love said.
