By Reena Bromberg Gaber
With the gold rotunda and a Celtics banner looming, members of both the New England Jewish Labor Committee and the national One Fair Wage organization, gathered on the steps of the Massachusetts State House to advocate for swift passage of the Act for One Fair Wage.
NEJLC Executive Director Ari Fertig with former Director Marya Axner, Co-Chair Ora Gladstone and Reena Bromberg Gaber
Workers and allies gathered on June 15 to urge support from legislators and to raise awareness about the need to eliminate the subminimum wage. The New England Jewish Labor Committee was out in force to support this critical legislation.
Yamila Ruiz, director of communications for OFW, began the rally by explaining what this bill is all about. While most Massachusetts minimum wage-earners are paid $14.25 per hour, those in service industries that expect tips are paid only $6.15, what’s known as the subminimum wage.
Those workers rely on tips to pay rent and feed themselves and their families. But receiving a tip, no matter what size, is dependent on the whims of the customers—and those that are dependent on their customers, not their employers, fall victim to multitudes of harassment. Tipped workers are forced to take that harassment in order to receive their wage.
To get involved with the New England Jewish Labor Committee and the fight for One Fair Wage click here.
Calling this a “sub-human wage,” Ruiz urged those listening to lift up the disproportionately affected workforce, especially immigrants, women, and people of color. Additionally, she thanked congressional champions of the bill, especially Patricia Jehlen, Senator of the Second Middlesex District, the lead sponsor of the bill.
Jehlen joined the group on the steps to express the importance of this work and the longtime work of the group. She urged her hopefulness for continued success in the current session and in the upcoming congressional session, beginning August 1st.
Additional speakers included Marie Billiel, a tipped worker facing sexual harassment throughout her workday. Harassment came from both colleagues and customers, affecting how much she would be tipped and citing managers making employees “cry for sport.” Billiel ended her speech by saying, “six-fifteen is not enough,” and recognizing the work done by all gathered on the steps.
Saru Jayaraman, founder and director of the OFW campaign and author of the new book with the same name, came in from California for the day, in order to lend her rousing support. Jayaraman gave a brief history of the legacy of tipping, connected with the history of prolonging slavery for Black people, in the post-Reconstruction era. Additionally, she drove the point that this reliance on tipping for workers’ wages, is an infamously and uniquely American system.
Continuing on to explain the impact the passage of OFW had in other states, including Jayaraman’s home-state of California, she cited smaller losses for the restaurant industry, throughout COVID, and a dramatic decrease in sexual harassment.
Rachel Miller Munzer, part owner of Mamaleh’s Delicatessen, articulated the success that Mamaleh’s has had with paying their employees the full minimum wage. However, she urged other restaurant owners to do the same. Without a mandated minimum wage, the “playing field is not level.”
Ari Fertig, Executive Director of the NEJLC, spoke to the Jewish community’s support of the bill, and that “this is an issue that all people, all members of any faith group or any community ought to get behind.”
He continued, “and we’ve been told: it’s a long shot. It’s probably not going to happen. But we were told it’s never going to get out of committee. Well, it got out of committee.”
With at least sixty cosigners to the bill, and its favorable report out of the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, the Act for One Fair Wage is awaiting attention in the Ways and Means Committee. This marks the Massachusetts One Fair Wage bill’s first time making it out of committee, a momentous feat celebrated throughout the day.
Fertig ended by saying, “we’re going to do it, we’re going to dig in…We’re going to do the work as a coalition and as a community…we can get it done!”
Members of the OFW and JLC then braved the labyrinth of the State House and went to work, speaking with Senators and Representatives about prioritization of the bill.
Staffers and aides in the offices of congresspeople shared excitement about the bill and the need for one fair wage. Some shared understanding, based on their own experiences or their family members’ experiences. Some shared understanding based on needs and wants of their constituents.
Congressional offices were urged by OFW and JLC to push prioritization for the rest of the session, ending July 31st, and on into the new session.
Momentum following the lobby day was coupled with hope and optimism about the future of the bill. OFW and JLC members are confident in its swift passage in the next congressional session, based largely on support from members of the Massachusetts legislature.
Ora Gladstone, co-chair of the JLC board and attendee of both the rally and lobbying, was encouraged by the support of the One Fair Wage organization, as well as the media and press attention to the rally. While she is concerned about “what happens when you leave the [congressperson’s office],” she felt the interest from many of the offices.
Gladstone said, “the way I am here today is the way I started,” standing with a grassroots group of people to demand justice and change.
As the gold rotunda blocked the sun, marking the end of the day, our lobbying members felt accomplished in light of the people they talked to today. We look forward to celebrating the announcement of the passage of this bill during the next session of the Massachusetts state government.
For more, see the news articles and video that this event generated below:
BOSTON HERALD: https://www.bostonherald.com/2022/06/15/bhr-l-wages-0615/
POLITICO MA: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/massachusetts-playbook/2022/06/16/big-names-wade-into-key-races-00040112
SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE: https://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/2022/06/15/bhr-l-wages-0615/
LOWELL SUN: https://www.lowellsun.com/2022/06/15/bhr-l-wages-0615/