We the undersigned students of The New School support a $15 minimum wage for all workers.

We recognize the towering levels of income and wealth inequality in US society today undermine our democracy, our unions and our public health. CEO compensation and corporate profits hit record highs, while the real value of the minimum wage hits record lows.

We know increasing the minimum wage benefits workers at all income levels by lifting the bottom the employers have us racing towards. Studies of cities and states which have raised the minimum wage above the federal minimum of $7.25/hour have not shown the predicted adverse effects like price increases, job losses or added inflation.

While they have suggested that the minimum wage could be increase as high as 60% of the area median income without causing any harm to labor markets. In 2015 this would be at least $17.45/hr in NYC.

We know that today's minimum wage workers are not teenagers working for pocket money. 75% of minimum wage workers are over 20, one quarter are parents and a majority are the sole or primary provider for their families. Low wage work disproportionately affects women, people of color and immigrants.

We are inspired by the pressure built by the 15 Now campaign and its allies in labor and community groups, that lead to the Seattle City Council vote in June 2014 to increase the city's minimum wage to $15/hour. Despite the employers' efforts to undermine $15 with phase-ins and exemptions, this wage increase will result in the transfer of $3 billion from the 1% to Seattle's low wage work force over the next decade and cut the city's poverty rate by 25%.

We recognize the victory for $15 in Seattle has been a tremendous boost to the confidence and credibility of the labor movement in combating the current decline in union membership. But as anyone who's negotiated a contract will know, no win is ever set in stone and the employers will seek to capitalize on any opportunity to take back this historic wage increase. Opponents introduced challenges to the ordinance in court.

We believe to defend significant increases in the minimum wage and achieve even more, we must escalate the struggle and roll out the $15/hour campaign across the country, including in New York City where the minimum wage remains a shameful $8.75/hr. Only a powerful movement of unions, neighborhood and campus groups, organizing town hall meetings, mass rallies, strikes and demonstrations will succeed in countering the power of the corporations.

As students and activists, we know it is only when we work together that we can effectively counter the dominance of the employers. The development of a unified, national, grassroots, democratic campaign such as 15 Now is a crucial step in unifying the struggles of unions and workers across the country for an end to poverty wages and the beginning of union organization for unrepresented low wage workers.

It is for these reasons that We the undersigned:

Endorse the 15 Now campaign, the Fight for 15, their allies and their struggle to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Demand The New School raise the minimum wage it pays to all of its employees to $15 an hour, and ensure that all contractors pay their employees at least $15 an hour.

Support raising the statewide minimum wage to $15 an hour, and ask that The New School officially make a statement supporting the same.

Support giving New York City the ability to raise its own minimum wage above the state minimum, and ask that The New School officially make a statement supporting the same.

References

[1] J. Schmitt, "Why Does the Minimum Wage Have No Discernible Effect on Employment?," February 2013. [Online]. Available: http://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/min-wag....

[2] R. Florida, "This Year's Minimum Wage Initiatives Fell Way Short," CityLab, 5 Nov 2014. [Online]. Available: http://www.citylab.com/politics/2014/11/this-years....