Take Action and #TalkPoverty National

Toolkit:
Raise the Minimum Wage
Right now the economy isnt working for everyone too many Americans are
working long hours for wages that are too low to support their families. The federal
minimum wage is a poverty wage: $7.! per hour" which is #ust $$!"%&%
annually for a full'time worker and $("%%% )elow the poverty line for a
family of three. More than four years after the end of the Great Recession, not
only have wages for low- and middle-income workers failed to recover, ut low-
wage !os have dominated !o growth.
That*s why we must take action and support the +air ,inimum -age Act"
which and would raise the wage to $$%.$% y "#$% and raise the minimum
wage for tipped workers&currently a stunning '".$( per hour&to )# percent of the
minimum wage. .f the minimum wage from the late $/0%s were inde1ed to
in2ation" it would now )e well over $$%.!% an hour. Raising the minimum
wage would help "* million American workers make ends meet, and more than "$
million children have a parent who would get a raise.
3ven though raising the wage would )ring millions of families into the
middle class" save ta1payers )illions of dollars" and )oost the economic
recovery, many are +ghting against it. ,e must push ack against false claims and
narratives that stoke fears aout things like !o loss, economic pain for small
usinesses, and higher consumer prices. The )ottom line is we need to restore
a strong minimum wage for America*s workers and provide millions of
families relief from poverty 4 it*s time working families are given a raise5
Take action" share your story" and get your elected o6cials to listen. -his
toolkit provides several resources to help you take action with the media, other
advocates, and your elected o.cials in support of raising the minimum wage,
including/
- 0tate-y-state and national data on the current state of poverty from 1alf in
-en and its partners
- Media talking points
- 2uestions and Answers
- 0ample op-ed, press release, and letter to the editor
- 0tate-y-state and national data on the e3ects of an increased minimum
wage
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- ,ays to take action online&including use of infographics and social media&
y !oining the 4-alk5overty online community
- ,ays to tell your story through 6ur American 0tory and make your voice
heard in the media
- 6ther resources to help you organi7e and take action
Need further assistance7 -e*re here to help5 8ontact: 8rik 0tegman,
Manager, 1alf in -en 9ampaign" estegman:americanprogress.org, "#"-;*$-*$;<
31plore Poverty 9ata in :our ;tate
The following resources are intended to help you develop advocacy materials to
raise your voice in your local community with the media, policymakers and other
advocates as well as provide broader context for why raising the minimum
wage is crucial for your state. We encourage you to incorporate this data into
your op-eds, handouts, meetings with editorial boards and policymakers, and other
public education eforts.
<alf in Ten ;tate of the ;tates %$= >eport
1alf in -en also pulishes an annual report analy7ing all of the elow indicators
comparing where each state ranks. =Resetting the 5overty >eate/ 0tate of the
0tates "#$(? also includes <$ state-y-state fact sheets and tales with data for
each indicator, including food insecurity, child poverty, a3ordale housing, etc, from
all <# states and the >istrict of 9olumia.
<alf in Ten 3ducation +und ;tate 9ata -e)site
6ur partner, the 1alf in -en 8ducation @und, maintains an interactive wesite where
you can +nd state-y-state data and information on the following indicators of
economic security and opportunity/
-o eAplore data y state, including your state fact sheet and congressional district
data, click here.
-o eAplore data y indicator and see where all the states rank, click on the following/
5overty rate
9hild poverty rate
Bnemployment rate
1unger and food insecurity
A3ordale housing
Assets and savings
1igh school graduation
>isconnected youth
1igher education attainment
Gender wage gap
Bnemployment insurance coverage
9hildren living apart from parents Cfoster careD
-een irth rate
1ealth insurance coverage
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Talking Points for ,edia
,illions of Americans would )ene?t from increasing the minimum wage.
Encreasing the minimum wage to '$#.$# and indeAing it to inFation would raise
the wages of "* million workers y '(< illion. 9urrently, a full-time worker
making the minimum wage earns !ust '$<,#*# a year. @or a family of (, that is
';,### elow the poverty line. Raising the minimum wage to '$#.$# would
increase yearly earnings to '$G,))) and would not !ust help those who earn the
minimum wageH workers earning !ust over the minimum wage would also see
their incomes rise due to a =spillover e3ect.?
,ost low'wage workers are women and are older than you think. Aout
two-thirds of all workers who were paid the minimum wage or less were women.
Raising the minimum wage to '$#.$# would ene+t $) million women. Also, low-
wage workers are not !ust teenagers. En fact, nearly G#I of the workers who
would ene+t from a '$#.$# minimum wage are "# years or older, and the
average age of a worker who would ene+t from an increase is (<. More than a
third C(<.* percentD are married, and over a Juarter C"* percentD are parents.
More than "$ million children will have at least one parent whose pay will go up
as a result of passing this new minimum wage legislation.
-ages have not kept up with increased productivity or in2ation. 6ver
the past few decades, worker productivity in the B.0. has risen dramatically, ut
the average American worker is not reaping the ene+ts. Enstead, wages have
grown at a tepid pace, and workers are getting a smaller and smaller piece of
the pie. Ef the minimum wage kept up with increases in worker productivity, the
minimum wage would e over '$* an hour. Kack in $G%*, the federal minimum
wage was '$.%# an hour. Ef the minimum wage kept pace with inFation, it would
e more than '$#. <# today. -odays minimum wage of ')."< an hour is ($I
lower than the value of the minimum wage in $G%*, ad!usted for inFation.
.ncome ine@uality has increased dramatically. Although the average
workers wages have remained stagnant, the pay for those at the top has
skyrocketed. 986s make ")( times more than average workers do. En $G%<,
986s made "#.$ times the pay of the average worker. Ky "#$", that ratio was
more than $# times larger. Ketween $G)G and "##), the richest top $I of
American households saw their income rise y "*$I , or an increase of more
than 'G)(,### per household. Meanwhile, the poorest Americans saw an
increase in their income of only $%I, or '",;##.
>aising the minimum wage will immediately )oost the economy and put
more money in the pocket of workers who will spend the money on things
like housing, food, and gas. -his oost in demand for goods and services will
help stimulate the economy and create opportunities for all Americans. -he
money gets funneled ack to usinesses large and small, many of which will
need to hire more workers to keep up with increased demand, reinforcing a
virtuous circle that will help uild an economy that works for everyone.
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.ncreasing the minimum wage from $7.! to $$%.$% would increase
economic activity and provide immediate economic stimulus" growing
the economy )y $=.0 )illion.
>aising the minimum wage is important for #o)s. Studies have shown that
minimum wage increases do not cause job losses. In 2010, economists studied employment levels
in neighboring counties that straddle a border between states that had different minimum wage rates
between 1990 and 2006. The study found that minimum wage increases did not cause !ob losses in
counties with higher minimum wages" and more than half of states that raised the
minimum wage during periods of high unemployment saw the unemployment
rate decrease over the neAt $" months. .n fact" raising the wage to $$%.$%
will create http:AAwww.epi.orgApu)licationAraising'federal'minimum'
wage'to'$%$%A.
>aising the wage to $$%.$% an hour will generate $(.0 )illion in annual
savings in the ;upplemental Nutrition Assistance Program" ;NAP"
formerly known as food stamps" or appro1imately $(0 )illion over $%
years" according to a new study from 9A5 and the Enstitute for Research on
Laor and 8mployment at Bniversity of 9alifornia at Kerkeley. Millions of low-
wage workers look to pulic assistance programs such as 0MA5 for help ecause
their wages that are too low to provide asic necessities for their families.
Encreasing the minimum wage would lower costs for taApayers ecause as
wages increased, low-wage workers would rely less on nutrition assistance to put
food on the tale. 0MA5 is an e3ective nutrition program that helped millions of
families keep food on the tales taApayers can e proud of this investment and
still wonder why so many working families need the safety net to stay aFoat
when the net incomes of four of the largest low'wage employers
represent ?ve times the amount of cost savings in ;NAP resulting from
a minimum wage hike to $$%.$%. ,hile the 0MA5 savings represent a
signi+cant reduction in safety net costs, they are a drop in the ucket for
corporations en!oying illions in pro+ts who have Fourished since the Recession.
-hy are corporations asking ta1payers to foot the )ill for
supplementing low wages when they can more than aBord to pay a
higher wage7
Cusinesses like 8ostco" -al',art" and ;tride >ite see the value and
support increasing the minimum wage. Kusinesses see the ene+ts of
raising the minimum wage&it helps reduce employee turnover and increases
employee productivity, commitment, and loyalty. -his all helps increase pro+ts.
9ostco 0enior Nice 5resident Oe3 Long said it est, =At 9ostco, we know good
wages are good usiness. ,e keep our overhead low while still paying a starting
wage of '$$ an hour. 6ur employees are a ig reason why our sales per sJuare
foot is almost doule that of our nearest competitor. Enstead of minimi7ing
wages, we know its a lot more pro+tale for the long term to minimi7e employee
turnover and maAimi7e productivity and commitment, product value, customer
service and company reputation.?
5
>aising the minimum wage is a political winner. Recent polling from 5ew
Research shows that 7=D of Americans support raising the minimum
wage to $$%.$% per hour and ad#usting it for the cost of living in future
years" and <alf in Ten*s poll found that &(D support E!&D strong
supportF raising the wage and tying it to in2ation. Americans of all stripes
and ackgrounds support raising the minimum wage, including )$I of
Endependents and <(I of Repulicans. 0tates around the country are enacting
minimum wage hikes. En 0ea-ac, ,A, voters passed a law raising the minimum
wage to '$< per hour. Mew Oersey voters overwhelmingly approved raising the
minimum wage, !oining Mew Pork, 9onnecticut, and 9alifornia in doing so this
year. Kallot and legislative initiatives are also underway or eApected in (# states
around the country.
Guestions and Answers
Q: Wont increasing the minimum wage increase unemployment and cause employers to
stop hiring workers?
A: An overwhelming majority of recent economic research has found that raising the minimum
wage has little to no effect on unemployment. More than half of states that raised the minimum
wage during periods of high unemployment saw the unemployment rate decrease over the next
12 months. ncreasing the minimum wage can actually !enefit !usinesses. "aising the wage to
#1$.1$ will create an estimated %5&$$$ new full #time jo!s. According to surveys& more than two'
thirds of small !usiness owners recogni(e this and support raising the federal minimum wage.
)mall !usiness owners already ac*nowledge the !enefits of higher wages& which is why %5+ of
those surveyed don,t pay any of their wor*ers the federal minimum wage of #-.25. )ome larger
!usinesses& such as .ostco and )tride "ite& have also supported increasing the minimum wage
!ecause they too recogni(e the !enefits of a minimum wage increase& which can help increase
profits.
Q: Who are the people making the minimum wage?
A/ 0he vast majority of low'wage wor*ers are not teenagers. 1early 2$ percent of the wor*ers
who would !enefit from raising the minimum wage to #1$.1$ an hour are 2$ years old or older&
and the average age is 35 years old. More than a third 335.% percent4 are married& and over a
5uarter 32% percent4 are parents. More than 21 million children have at least one parent whose
paychec* would increase as a result of passing this legislation. Also& women are
disproportionately low'wage wor*ers. 0hey ma*e up two'thirds of the minimum wage earners in
the country. As a result& raising the minimum wage would help close the gender wage gap6on
average& a woman is currently paid -- cents for every dollar that a man is paid. 7vidence already
suggests that a higher minimum wage is related to a smaller gender wage gap at the state level.
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Q: Would raising the minimum wage lead to increased costs for consumers?
A: Actually& the costs of a minimum wage increase would !e almost entirely offset !y its positive
economic effects& so few of the additional costs would !e passed onto consumers. As noted
a!ove& economists and !usiness owners agree that raising the minimum wage would encourage
hard wor*& !oost productivity& increase demand& and lower jo! turnover rates. 9urthermore& the
!enefits to low'wage wor*ers would !e real and su!stantial. Another study showed that6even
under the most conservative assumptions6the food price increases that come with a minimum
wage increase will lead to no more than an extra dime a day for American households while
delivering $51 billion in additional income to ! million workers.
Q: What does raising the minimum wage do for the economy? Would it hurt our economic
reco"ery?
A: 1o& increasing the minimum wage would in fact provide an immediate !oost to the economy.
"aising the minimum wage would put money in the poc*ets of low'income wor*ers& who are
li*ely to spend it immediately on things li*e housing& food& and cars. 0his !oost in demand for
goods and services helps stimulate the economy. 0he money gets funneled !ac* to employers
who can then reinvest it in jo!s and the economy. "esearchers at the .hicago 9ederal "eserve
:an* found the effect to !e significant and immediate& noting that ;a #1 minimum wage hi*e
increases household income !y roughly #25$ and spending !y approximately #-$$ per 5uarter in
the year following a minimum wage hi*e.< #imply put: raising the minimum wage would
grow our economy. ncreasing the federal minimum wage from #-.25 to #1$.1$ would grow our
nation,s total economy 3=>?4 !y #32.8 !illion !y the end of the phase'in period.
Q: Would raising the minimum wage address po"erty?
A: "aising the minimum wage would lift millions out of poverty. A full'time minimum wage
wor*er earns just #15&$%$ a year. 9or a family of three& that is #4&$$$ !elow the poverty line.
"aising the minimum wage to #1$.1$ per hour would give minimum wage earners an additional
#4&-$$ per year. A recent report !y "estaurant @pportunities .enters Anited found that raising
the minimum wage to #1$.1$ per hour would lift nearly 8 million wor*ers out of poverty.
Q: $f you raise the minimum wage to $1!%1! an hour& why not raise it to $'5& $5!& or e"en
higher?
A: 1o one,s calling for the minimum wage to !e at #5$ per hour. 0he goal of a minimum wage is
for people who wor* full'time to !e paid enough to ma*e ends meet& which the current #-.25
does not do. A full'time wor*er earning the minimum wage ma*es just #15&$%$ a year. "aising
the minimum wage to #1$.1$ would increase yearly earnings to #12&---. $f the minimum wage
from the late ()!s was inde*ed to inflation& it would now be well over #1$.5$ an hour% +$t is
notable that ,ongress links indi"idual campaign contribution limits to inflation& but not the
minimum wage%- An increase in the minimum wage to #1$.1$ would restore some of the
!uying power that,s !een eroded from low'wage wor*ers over the last half century. f the
minimum wage had *ept pace with increases in wor*er productivity& then it would !e a!out #1%
per hour.
-
%
Hive the -age 8hallenge I +ollow'up
Buly 24
th
2$14 mar*ed 5 years since the last federal minimum wage increase and America can,t
wait any longer. Chile corporate profits and .7@ salaries s*yroc*et& the minimum wage
remains stuc* at #-.25 an hour& well !elow the poverty line. Ce need to raise the minimum wage
so that wor*ers have more money to support themselves and their families. More money for
wor*ers means more customers for !usinesses. More customers means more jo!s and a stronger
economy for everyone. t,s time for action.
0o mar* to anniversary of the last time the wage was raised& people across the country6
including policy experts& elected officials& and advocates6joined the national movement to raise
the minimum wage !y ta*ing the Dive the Cage .hallenge to see what it,s li*e to live in the
shoes of a minimum wor*er !y attempting to live on a !udget of #-- for a wee*.
./0 ,/A110230 $# 4506& .$70 846 A,,492.A:$1$.;% 1ow that the challenge is
over it is time to as* your legislator a simple 5uestion. >o they support raising the minimum
wageE f not& will they ta*e the challenge.
Key Points On Raising the Minimum Wage:
"aising the minimum wage to #1$.1$ would raise wages for 2% million wor*ers !y
#35 !illion. More money in the poc*ets of American wor*ers means more spent at
America,s !usinesses& growing our economy and creating more jo!s.
Minimum wage wor*ers haven,t gotten a raise in five years& while the cost of gas&
mil* and food have clim!ed& leaving hard'wor*ing Americans even further !ehind.
0hese wor*ers are mostly women and are 35 years old on average
Questions For Your Elected Official:
Fnowing that the minimum wage is not a living wage& why do you oppose raising the
minimum wage and ensuring hard'wor*ing Americans receive a fair wage for their
wor*E
)ince you oppose raising the minimum wage& would you ta*e the Dive the Cage
.hallenge and try to understand the challenges of living on the minimum wageE
Hold Members of ongress !ccountable
Sample Tweets
A minority of the )enate !loc*ed a raise for 2% million Americans Glivethewage
Graisethewage Hinsert senators'leaving'tw graphicI
Also share the )enators'Deaving'9: graphic on 9ace!oo*
Jjoniernst if you donKt want to G"aise0heCage& then you should try to
GDive0heCage '' #-- for one wee*. livethewage.com
J)en)cott:rown since you wouldnKt G"aise0heCage& would you GDive0heCage to
see challenges a min. wage wor*er facesE livethewage.com
J0eamLMitch these leaders wal*ed in the shoes of a minimum wage wor*er for one
wee* ' will you GDive0heCageE http/MMa!cnews.go.comM!logsMpoliticsM2$14M$-Mwhat'
happened'when'3'politicians'tried'to'eat'on'minimum'wage'!udgetM
;ample Press >elease
8or $mmediate 6elease
H>A07I
,ontact
2
HAdd a name& email and phone for the personMs at your organi(ation who can respond to
in5uiriesI
H@rgani(ation,s nameI calls on Hyour stateI,s elected officials in .ongress to restore a strong
minimum wage for America,s wor*ers and lift millions families out of poverty !y supporting the
9air Minimum Cage Act
Raising the minimum "age from #$%&' to #()%() "ould raise "ages for *clic+ here for your
state,s data- "or+ers and create *your state,s data- .obs in *your state-
Hnsert @rgani(ation,s .ityI 6 Deaders from Horgani(ation,s nameI called on Hyour stateI,s
elected leaders in .ongress to support the 9air Minimum Cage Act to raise the federal minimum
wage to #1$.1$& which would help nearly '< million American workers make ends meet and
enable the parents of more than '1 million children to get a raise = Hclic* here for your state,s
dataI people in Hyour stateI. More than four years after the end of the =reat "ecession& not only
have wages for low' and middle'income wor*ers yet to recover& !ut low'wage jo!s have
dominated jo! growth.
0he current federal minimum wage is #-.25 per hour& which translates to just #15&$%$ per year
for a full'time wor*er& far !elow the poverty line for a family of three. 0his level is decades out
of date& and the federal minimum wage for tipped wor*ers6#2.13 per hour6hasn,t increased in
more than 2$ years. $f the minimum wage from the late ()!s was inde*ed to inflation& it
would now be well o"er $1!%5! an hour% "aising the wage would also ta*e a huge step toward
closing the gender wage gapN a!out two'thirds of all wor*ers who were paid the minimum wage
or less were women.
HOuote from one of your organi(ation,s leaders a!out the urgent need to raise the minimum wage
so that the economy wor*s for everyone& not just those at the very top.I
6aising the wage will also power economic reco"ery and growth !y !oosting consumer
demand as low'income wor*ers spend their additional income at local !usinesses. 0he 9air
Minimum Cage Act would result in more than #32 !illion in new economic activity nationally
and !ring Hclic* here for your state,s dataI full'time jo!s to Hyour stateI. 0he notion that raising
the minimum wage would result in fewer jo!s simply isn,t supported !y the overwhelming
majority of research.
Millions of low'wage wor*ers loo* to pu!lic assistance programs such as )1A? for help !ecause
their wages that are too low to provide !asic necessities for their families. ncreasing the
minimum wage would lower costs for taxpayers !ecause as wages increased& low'wage wor*ers
would rely less on nutrition assistance to put food on the ta!le. 6aising the wage to $1!%1! an
hour will generate $>%) billion in annual sa"ings in the #upplemental 2utrition Assistance
?rogram& #2A?& formerly *nown as food stamps& or approximately #48 !illion over ten years.
.orporations must stop as*ing taxpayers to foot the !ill for supplementing low wages when they
can more than afford to pay a higher wage.
H@rgani(ationI calls on Hyour stateI,s elected leaders to support the 9air Minimum Cage Act
which would allow Americans who wor* hard to get ahead while !oosting the economy. 0oo
1$
many American wor*ers are earning poverty wages6it,s time for wor*ing families to get the
raise they deserve.
;ample Jp'3dAHetters to the 3ditor
$ts .ime to 6aise the 7inimum Wage from a ?o"erty Wage
"ight now our economy isn,t wor*ing for everyone P too many Americans are wor*ing full'time
hours at multiple jo!s that don,t pay enough to lift their families out of poverty.
0he federal minimum wage is stuc* at #-.25 per hour. 0hat translates to #15&$%$ annually for a
full'time wor*er& far !elow the poverty line for a family of three. n the late 128$s the minimum
wage was sufficient to lift a family of three out of poverty. Qad it !een indexed to inflation it
would now stand at more than #1$.5$ per hour and still meet that historic standard.
9ortunately& the 9air Minimum Cage Act would increase the minimum wage to #1$.1$ per hour
and index it to inflation. 0his would ena!le a full'time wor*er to earn #12&--- annually& meaning
that hard wor* would once again lift a small family out of poverty. t would !oost the wages of
2% million wor*ers6including 1- million women6!y #35 !illion. n @your stateA& raising the
wage will create @enter your state dataA jo!s and effect @enter your state dataA wor*ers.
"aising the minimum wage to #1$.1$ per hour would also help those earning just a!ove the
minimum wage. More than 21 million children have at least one parent whose pay would go up
as a result of passing this legislation. >espite what opponents to raising the wage would have
you !elieve& these wor*ers aren,t ;teenagers flipping !urgers</ the average wor*er who would
!enefit from this wage increase is 35 years old.
@ver the past several decades& wor*er productivity has risen dramatically& !ut American wor*ers
aren,t reaping the !enefits. f the minimum wage had *ept pace with increased wor*er
productivity it would !e more #1% per hour today. 0oday,s wor*ers are more educated and more
productive than ever !efore& !ut the minimum wage of #-.25 per hour is 31 percent lower than
its value in 128%.
Chen wor*ers ma*e more money& they immediately spend it on !asic goods and services li*e
housing& food& and gas. 0his !oost in demand will help stimulate and grow the economy !y
#32.8 !illion. 0hat money is funneled !ac* to !usinesses large and small as they hire more
wor*ers to *eep pace with increased demand& reinforcing a virtuous circle that will help !uild an
economy that wor*s for everyone. "aising the wage to #1$.1$ will also save taxpayers #48
!illion over ten years as they,ll no longer have to foot the !ill for supplementing Americans, low
wages that corporations can afford to pay.

More than half of the states that raised the minimum wage during periods of high unemployment
saw the unemployment rate decrease over the next 12 months. According to the 7conomic ?olicy
nstitute& raising the wage to #1$.1$ will create %5&$$$ new full'time jo!s. t will also reduce
employee turnover& increase employee productivity and loyalty& and increase profits.
t,s long past time that .ongress listens to %4+ of the American people who support increasing
the minimum wage to at least #1$.1$ per hour. Ce need to grow our economy in a way that
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wor*s for everyone& not just those at the very top. "estoring a strong minimum wage is one *ey
step towards achieving that goal.
1i"e the Wage ,hallenge Accountability
HDas wee*I& progressive legislators around the nation stood with minimum wage wor*ers !y
participating in the ;Dive 0he Cage< .hallenge and trying to live on a minimum wage !udget.
0hese representatives& who already supported an increase in the federal minimum wage& now
*now more than ever the urgent need to raise the wage. )o many of us are forced to choose
!etween copays and groceries& !etween spending time at wor* and spending time with our
children& and !etween ta*ing care of our families and ta*ing care of ourselves6all while
wor*ing full'time jo!s and living paychec* to paychec* to ma*e ends meet.
Qowever& in April& )enate "epu!licans !loc*ed a !ill to raise the minimum wage to #1$.1$ and
give 2% million Americans a raise. And in 2$13& "epresentatives HRI and HSI here in H)0A07I
voted against a minimum wage increase.
0hese legislators& and all opponents of raising the minimum wage& should try living on the
minimum wage. 0he #-.25 minimum wage hasn,t gone up in five years& even as life has gotten
more expensive and the reality is that most people wor*ing minimum wage jo!s are adults with
families to support. ,m certain that if "ep. HRI& "ep. HSI and )en. HTI ta*e the ;Dive 0he Cage<
.hallenge& they will have a much harder time tell hard'wor*ing Americans they don,t deserve a
raise.
Tell :our ;tory and Take Action
A proBect of /alf in .en and the ,oalition on /uman 2eeds
We need your help to e*plain why raising the minimum wage is crucial for millions of
working families and to push back on false narrati"es about lowCincome families. All of us
need to speak out to media and policymakers in support of raising the wage%
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@ur American )tory is a community of low'income families& service providers& and other
community leaders wor*ing to expand economic opportunity for all through the power of their
personal stories. .ontri!utors to @ur American )tory spea* personally a!out how they or people
they *now have !een helped !y child care& nutrition assistance& jo! training& early learning
programs& afforda!le housing& health coverage& low'income tax credits& and other vital services.
0he Qalf in 0en campaign and the .oalition on Quman 1eeds manage the @ur American )tory
networ* and wor* to connect storytellers with action opportunities& the media& policyma*ers& and
other influential audiences.
.ontri!utors to @ur American )tory su!mit their stories6either as a short video clip or in
written form6to Qalf in 0en and the .oalition on Quman 1eeds. )tories are then posted to the
@ur American )tory we!site 3http/MMhalfinten.orgMstories4 and shared as part of advocacy efforts
to protect human needs programs and lay the groundwor* for proactive policies that help
vulnera!le families.
#ubmit your story today and help us spread the word in communities across the country
about why raising the minimum wage is so important for you& your family& andDor the
people you ser"e. 0o share your story and join the @ur American )tory community& visit
http:DDhalfinten%orgDstoriesDsubmit% After you su!mit your story& we will reach out to you to
welcome you and follow up with next steps. ?lease urge your friends or colleagues who might
have a story to share their stories with us too. 9eel free to contact infoJhalfinten.org with any
5uestions.
Cith your help& we can raise our collective voice in support of a strong safety net6including
higher wages6and do more to help struggling families and communities get !ac* on their feet.
#hare your story todayE
Koin the #TalkPoverty Jnline
,ovement
G0al*?overty is a networ* of social media activists who use 0witter& 9ace!oo* and other
platforms to share resources and raise their voices in support of low'income families. )ign'up
for the G0al*?overty networ* today to receive news and updates geared toward online social
media activists including/
' 1ational action campaign opportunities
' )ocial media training and resources
' @pportunities to amplify and increase your individual and organi(ational social media reach
' )ample tweets& infographics& and other sharea!le resources
Foin the mo"ement and speak out to raise the minimum wageE
- ;ign'up to #oin the campaign at/ hal+nten.orgQtalkpoverty
- Hike #Talkpoverty on face)ook/ http/QQwww.faceook.comQ-alk5overty
- +ollow <alf in Ten on Twitter/ http/QQwww.twitter.comQhal+nten
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Here are some sam/le t"eets to get you started:
0a*e Action/ 0ell .ongress it,s time 2%mil wor*ing Americans stop strugglingU 7nter (ip ##V
http/MM!it.lyMATft)c JQalfin0en Graisethewage
,ant to know how to make the case that we must 4Raisethe,ageR >ownload
:1al+n-ens toolkit todayS Tinsert toolkit linkU 4talkpoverty
@A9-/ -o cut poverty V stop rising ineJuality we must 4 raisethewage
http/QQ it.lyQ$cyfoOM via : <al?nTen pic.twitter.comQ(,e;0eM!WO
-o cut poverty every worker must earn a living wage http/QQit.lyQ$cyfoOM
pic.twitter.comQ0E@k>w!O6G via : 1al+n-en 4 Raise-he,age 4 talkpoverty
Refer to the chart below with the state-by-state efects of raising the
wage to customize the following tweets for your state:
n Hyour stateI HxI people will gain full time jo!s if we G"aisetheCgae to #1$.1$ Gtal*poverty
HxI people,s wages in Hyour stateI will !e effected if we G"aisetheCage Gtal*poverty
Qow many jo!s will your state gain if we G"aisetheCageE .hec* out your state data via
J Qalfin0en Gtal*poverty
;tate')y';tate .mpact of >aising the
,inimum -age
According to the 7conomic ?olicy nstitute& raising the minimum wage to #1$.1$ would raise the
wages of nearly 2% million wor*ers while creating roughly %5&$$$ new jo!s. ?lug in and use
these state'!y'state impact num!ers as you develop advocacy materials to urge .ongress to raise
the wage for millions of wor*ing families struggling in an economy that,s failing them.
0he 0a!le !elow shows the estimated effects of raising the minimum wage to #1$.1$ !y 2$18 3when it would !e
fully phased in4 for each state. n 1% states& more than 5$$&$$$ wor*ers will !e affected.
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;harea)le 8harts and .nfographics
8rom /alf in .en and the ,enter for American ?rogress:
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)hare with http/MM !it.lyM1eATxcd
1-
Catch and share this video http:DDbit%lyD9#1iyG%
Catch and share this video 3http/MM !it.lyMM%pA3d4 which includes the need to raise the minimum
wage.
1%
)hare with http:DDbit%lyD1pAH#"c%
)hare with http/MM !it.lyM1cyfoBM
12

)hare with http/MM !it.lyM1dM57(w
)hare with http/MM!it.lyM1i%SdOx
2$
8rom the 0conomic ?olicy $nstitute:
)hare with http/MM !it.lyM1*4jW57
)hare with http/MM !it.lyM1gvWQ>%
21
)hare with http/MM !it.lyM1*4jW57
)hare with http/MM !it.lyM1l1T@$-
22
)hare with http/MM !it.lyMMM!@>v
8rom the 2ational 0mployment 1aw ?roBect:
23
)hare with http/MM!it.lyM1y2hppW.
8rom the 2ational 1ow $ncome /ousing ,oalition:
)hare with http/MM!it.lyM1pC5W20.
Jther >esources:
8 )urprising 9acts A!out the Minimum Cage 3video4
0he :enefits of ncreasing the Minimum Cage for ?eople of .olor
ncreasing the Minimum Cage Qelps @ur 1ation,s Weterans
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0a*e Action/ Arge .ongress to "aise the Minimum Cage 3action alert4
"aising the Minimum Cage Could Qelp& 1ot Qurt& @ur 7conomy
nfographic/ 0axpayers ?ic* Ap the 0a! for .orporations that .an Afford to ?ay 0heir
7mployees More
nfographic/ "aising the Minimum Cage
"aising the Minimum Cage Could :oost the ncomes of Millions of Comen and 0heir 9amilies
"aising the 9ederal Minimum Cage to #1$.1$ Could Dift Cages for Millions and ?rovide a
Modest 7conomic :oost
"eal 9amily Walues/ "aising the 9ederal Minimum Cage
Dow'Cage Cor*ers Qave 9ar More 7ducation than 0hey >id in 128%& Set 0hey Ma*e 9ar Dess
0he Minimum Cage Ased to :e 7nough 0o Feep Cor*ers @ut of ?overty P t,s 1ot Anymore
Dow'wage Cor*ers Are @lder 0han Sou 0hin*
5 0hings Ce .an >o to .ut ?overty 0oday 3video4
8 ?olicies to .om!at ne5uality
0he Car on ?overty 0hen and 1ow/ Applying Dessons Dearned to the .hallenges and
@pportunities 9acing a 21
st
'.entury America
5$ Sears After D:B,s Car on ?overty/ A )tudy of American Attitudes A!out Cor*& 7conomic
@pportunity& and the )ocial )afety 1et
"esetting the ?overty >e!ate/ )tate of the )tates 2$13
"esetting the ?overty >e!ate/ "enewing @ur .ommitment to )hared ?rosperity

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