Audio Press Conference by Fairness Initiative on Low -Wage Work

Three organizations put together a telephone press conference regarding various states efforts to raise the minimum wage. It was captured live by San Francisco's Indybay.org

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Contact: Phil Sparks
(202) 326-8700

So far, 18 states and scores of localities have decided not to wait for a federal increase in the minimum wage and have raised their standard beyond the federal minimum—frozen since 1997—of $5.15 an hour. This year, many other states and localities are considering raising their minimum wage beyond the federal level, including ballot initiatives in Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Montana, Nevada and Ohio. State legislative efforts are underway in states such as California, Massachusetts, New Mexico, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

A recent New York Times Magazine article focused on the activities of ACORN and the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center aimed at pressing policymakers to initiate legislative action or ballot initiatives to raise state minimum wages. Two experts featured in the New York Times, Jen Kern of ACORN and Kristina Wilfore of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center will be speakers at an audio news conference on these issues. And Jeff Chapman, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, will brief reporters on the economics of the minimum wage as they affect low-wage workers.

AUDIO NEWS CONFERENCE
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14
1:00 p.m. EST

Speakers:
Jen Kern, Director of the Living Wage Resource Center, ACORN
Kristina Wilfore, Executive Director, Ballot Initiative Strategy Ctr
Jeff Chapman, Economist, Economic Policy Institute

Information about the minimum wage can be obtained on the Fairness Initiative on Low-Wage Work Web site at http://www.lowwagework.org including the text of the New York Times Magazine article on minimum wage/living wage.

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a small portion of Jeff Chapman's intro is missing due to recording slip>

Running Time 59 minutes without music
Running Time 1:08 with music
ends with song by Lee Goland "Teenage Immigrant Welfare Mothers on Drugs" "The Trains Still Don't Run On Time" "War on Poverty"