Fight for $15 supporters confronted the Democratic party platform committee in Washington, D.C. Wednesday, demanding it make the $15 minimum wage an official party position.
The committee consists of 15 people tasked with proposing an official party platform during the convention held in Philadelphia between July 25 and 28. The committee has pledged to make the process as open as possible through the use of public forums and online submissions. Fight for $15 advocates used the forum held in Washington, D.C. to advocate for its position.
“They were greeted by dozens of low-wage workers demanding that the committee write support of a $15 minimum wage into the platform,” the Campaign For America’s Future wrote. “The platform committee members could not at that point dismiss the chants of “$15 and a union” as the outlandish demands of fringe agitators.”
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser received chants and cheers when she discussed how the city is now on course to enact a $15 minimum wage. The city council approved a measure raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour Tuesday. New York and California became the first states Apr. 4 to enact a $15 minimum wage after a handful of cities did as well.
Economists and other experts have found both positive and negative results when studying the $15 minimum wage but generally agree job loss is a risk. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found any increase in the minimum wage will likely result in at least some job loss. The University of California, Berkeley found the losses are marginal compared to the potential benefit.
Other experts argue the impact will be much worse. The National Bureau of Economic Research and The Heritage Foundation determined the impact of a higher minimum wage is especially bad for young and low-skilled workers. The White House Council of Economic Advisers warned in a report Feb. 22 that low-skilled workers are the most at risk of being replaced by computers.
Democrats generally support raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour despite it not being an official party platform. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced a bill in July designed to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. His primary rival Hillary Clinton eventually announced her support for a federal increase as well.
The Fight for $15 movement and the Democratic party platform committee did not respond to requests for comment by The Daily Caller News Foundation.
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