Learn

Employment, Minimum Wage and Unemployment Benefits

Only concerted effort and cooperation between national government and local communities will result in rural development that allows poor people and poor communities to find a permanent way out of poverty. Healthy rural economies that provide jobs and pay a living wage form the foundation (Hunger Report 2005, Page 88) Cross Reference: Rural Development
Helping people overcome poverty by finding jobs that pay a livable wage must be a part of any U.S. plan to end hunger" (Hunger Report 2004: Side Bar: Page 66).
"Improving U.S. public primary and secondary education systems is a tried and true way to help Americans fill jobs in the United States and remain competitive in a global marketplace. Access to higher education helps some Americans move up the economic ladder. For every demographic—Blacks, whites, Latinos, men and women—income rise as education rises" (Hunger Report 2004: Side Bar: Page 66) Cross Reference: Education
A strong job market powerfully reduces hunger (Hunger Report 2004, Page 57).
To end hunger, the United States must make it possible for everyone to receive a livable income. That requires better education and job opportunities, assistance that helps low-wage workers support their families, and a social safety net for people who cannot work, such as the disabled or elderly (Hunger Report 2004, Page 9) Cross Reference: Education.

Minimum Wage

"…we urge you to support an increase in the minimum wage to $7.00 an hour" (May 20, 2004, BFW Sign-On Letters 2001-Present).
Another way to make work pay is to increase the minimum wage. Today a minimum wage worker who earns $5.15 an hour cannot support a family. Increasing the minimum wage to $6.65 would mean an extra $42 (after taxes) for someone working 40 hours a week (Hunger Report 2004: Side Bar: Page 66).
Bread for the World has long supported bringing the minimum wage back to its original value, beginning the task with a $1.50 increase to $6.65, indexing the wage to keep up with inflation, and resisting efforts to allow states to opt out of the increase (Hunger Report 2002, Page 56).

See Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2002, S. 2538/H.R. 4799).

In a letter to the Members of Congress from Religious Leaders Call for a Minimum Wage Increase: "We…urge you to support the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2002 (S. 2538/H.R. 4799)…we ask you to oppose amendments to the Fair Minimum Wage Act that add large and unnecessary tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy and amendments that weaken existing labor protection laws (August 30, 2002, BFW Sign-On Letters 2001-Present).

See Minimum Wage Sign-on Letter (Coalition on Human Needs).

"We…urge you to support pending legislation that would increase the federal minimum wage from its current $5.15/hour to $6.65/hour, in three steps, by January 1, 2003. And we further urge that you vote against weakening amendments, such as unnecessary tax cuts and damaging changes to existing labor law. Specifically, we believe that we must, as a nation:

Raise the Federal Minimum Wage and phase it in quickly: the pending legislation proposes to increase the minimum wage by $.60 upon enactment, $.50 on January 1, 2002, and $.40 on January 1, 2003…
Avoid necessary tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy…
Avoid weakening overtime laws and other labor protections…
Make the minimum wage applicable to the Mariana Islands… (July 17, 2001, BFW Sign-On Letters 2001-Present)

The federal government should also raise the minimum wage (Hunger Report 2000, Page 41).
"We…urge you to support legislation that would increase the minimum wage by at least $1 over the next two years, while avoiding unnecessary tax cuts and damaging tax cuts to existing labor law. Specifically, we urge you to adopt legislation that would:

Raise the Minimum Wage Now and Phase It In As Quickly As Possible: America's minimum wage workers need a raise as soon as possible. A full time worker making the current minimum wage only earns $10, 712 per year – more than $3,000 below the poverty line for a family of three…A two year phase-in commands strong bipartisan support in the House. A three year phase-in period is unacceptably long and should be rejected.
Avoid Unnecessary Tax Cuts that Primarily Benefit the Wealthy: Minimum wage legislation recently passed by the House and Senate has been accompanied by tax cuts that would disproportionately benefit the nation's most fortunate citizens.
Avoid Weakening Overtime Laws and Other Labor Protections: Minimum wage legislation recently passed by the House would repeal overtime protections for 1.5 million American workers. Legislation raising the minimum wage should not be viewed as an opportunity to weaken existing labor laws.
Make the Minimum Wage Applicable to the Mariana Islands: Workers in American territories deserve the same protections, dignity and rights as other Americans.

Faith-based organizations and charities are straining to serve escalating requests for emergency food from their pantries and soup kitchens, especially from working people…Increasing the minimum wage by one dollar to $6.15 per hour would mean an additional $2000 per year for full-time workers—money that could buy groceries, pay, rent, or otherwise help low-income workers in need.

…We urge you to act promptly to raise the minimum wage" (Minimum Wage Sign-on Letter, April 2000, BFW Sign-On Letters 2000).

Unemployment

See Senator Wellstone's Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002, S. 3009.

"…we write to express our strong support for extending and improving the Temporary Extended Benefits program to provide relief to the unemployed. We thus urge you to support Senator Wellstone's Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 (S. 3009)" (October 8, 2002, BFW Sign-On Letters 2001-Present).

Social Security

Keeping our Social Security commitment to the elderly and disabled, especially ensuring that those who are most disadvantaged will not be destitute in old age, should remain a top government priority (Hunger Report 2002, Page 62).

Send suggestions or comments to Institute@bread.org