Paying living wage good for economy

To the editor:

I applaud The Gazette for publishing Mike Owen's editorial 'Reversing Iowa's low wage legacy” on June 15.

The 'Fight for $15” movement for higher wages and better working conditions is heating up around the country. First Seattle, then San Francisco. Most recently Chicago, and now, Los Angeles and St. Louis, more dominoes fallen as a result of community organizing and the thousands-strong national 'Fight for $15” movement. The longer Iowa forces people working full-time to live on poverty wages, the more we will look back and feel ashamed.

Iowa was one of the first states to raise our wage to $7.25; higher than the federal minimum wage at the time. But that was in 2007 and the punch line: Iowa is now behind. The 'Fight for $15” movement across the country is winning watershed victories that will affect millions of low-wage workers. Now the 'Fight for $15” has come to Iowa, and it's only a matter of time before we realize that paying workers a living wage is good for them, our economy, our state coffers, and urban and rural communities.

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and the Center for Worker Justice in Iowa City launched their 'Fight for $15” campaigns in April where they're taking it to the streets and demanding action. Join them and other groups to stand up for a living wage.

Emily Schott

Des Moines