FRESC Recognizes SEIU Local 105 for their Work in the “Fight for $15 & a Union” Campaign
Recognizing a Growing Movement Determined to Build an Colorado Economy that Works for Everyone in Colorado
DENVER (August 11, 2015) – FRESC: Good Jobs Strong Communities held their annual Solidarity Soiree during which SEIU Local 105 was awarded its Organizing Award for building the local component of the national Fight for $15 and a Union movement.
“On behalf of our 6,500 members and the hundreds upon hundreds of workers involved in the Fight for $15 and a Union movement, I am proud to accept this award as it serves to highlight the incredible courage of these workers to stand up for a better economy for all working Coloradans,” said SEIU Local 105 President Ron Ruggiero.
The Fight for $15 Campaign is intended to get the economy moving again starting with workers in low-wage service jobs. This is the same campaign that has successfully won increases in the minimum wage in Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Most recently in New York, the Wage Board set a floor of $15 an hour for the fast food industry.
SEIU Local 105 is working to make Colorado the next state on the list to boast a minimum wage that resembles a living wage.
“SEIU Local 105 has been the force behind the Fight for $15 Campaign in Colorado,” states Felicia F. Griffin, Executive Director of FRESC. “The dedication Local 105 shows in their collaborative efforts to ensure that the voices of working people in low-wage jobs are heard.”
Colorado’s current minimum wage of $8.23 is higher than the national minimum wage of $7.25 but does not meet the needs of working families to provide for themselves. Wages have been stagnant in the United States for decades and not keeping up with inflation. As a consequence, a significant portion of the population is earning too little to achieve even a modest level of economic security in cities like Denver according to recent reports.
“Families struggle every day for economic self-sufficiency,” states Griffin. “SEIU Local 105’s work is helping many Coloradans that work long, hard hours to meet their family’s economic needs.”
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SEIU Local 105 is an organization made up of more than 6,500 health care and property service workers in Colorado. SEIU is united by the belief in the dignity and worth of workers and the services they provide. We are dedicated to improving the lives of workers and their families by creating a more just and humane society.
FRESC: Good Jobs Strong Communities is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that builds power to ensure that the economy and political system work for all Colorado residents, especially low income people, communities of color and immigrants. We create this change by engaging unions, workers, faith communities and neighborhoods to advance innovative policy solutions.
