‘Give America a Raise’ bus tour stops in Phoenix
Apr 21, 2014, 5:00 AM | Updated: 5:00 am
PHOENIX — The state capitol is the latest stop on a 20-state bus tour designed to increase pressure on Congress to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.
According to a press release from Americans United for Change and Progress Now Arizona, the 45-foot long billboard on wheels will provide a backdrop for state lawmakers and employees who support the increase.
According to the White House, more than 28 million workers would benefit from the proposal to increase the federal minimum wage, including more than 541,000 in Arizona.
The Living Wage Calculator compiled by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology show that the average full-time worker in Maricopa County needs to make $9.20 an hour to cover food, medical, housing and transportation costs. That comes out to $19,139.
Phoenix is the second stop on the “Give America a Raise” tour which wraps up in Norfolk, Va. on May 20. Critics say raising the minimum wage would cost jobs while supporters say it would lift families out of poverty and improve the economy.
