Ballot Box Breakthroughs How The Fairness Project’s Ballot Initiative Strategy Brought Real Economic Progress to 8.1 Million Workers in 2016 PUTTING OUR FAMILIES FIRST

There was a point when Tabatha – a single mother in Portland, – kept her McDonald’s uniform on underneath her Dunkin Donuts apron because she was almost always wearing one or the other. She worked 18- to 22-hour days for a little more than $8 an hour. Working two jobs was the only way she and her children could survive.

Now, her wages will go up 50% to $12 an hour.

PUTTING OUR HEALTH FIRST

In , Desiree struggles to raise three kids as a single mom. Her employer did not offer so when she got cancer she had to get treatment without taking off work. Once, she was forced to put off a procedure for so long her doctor told her it might no longer be safe. “I was thinking of having the procedure and then signing myself out of the hospital so I could return to work,” Desiree said.

Now, for the first time she will have paid sick leave.

22 Ballot Box Breakthroughs How The Fairness Project’s Ballot Initiative Strategy Brought Real Economic Progress to 8.1 Million Workers in 2016

www.thefairnessproject.org 3 PUTTING OUR PEOPLE FIRST Marilyn is a home health care worker in . Despite 20 years of experience, she earns just $9 an hour, the state’s minimum wage. “I’m one paycheck away from being homeless,” she said. “I literally have to balance every dime to make sure I eat every day.”

Now, her wages will go up to $12 an hour.

PUTTING OUR WORKERS FIRST Andy runs five restaurants throughout D.C. and has seen firsthand how workers earning low wages impact local businesses. Over the past two decades he has heard the doomsday predictions from businesses afraid of improving their business models.

From banning smoking inside restaurants to paid sick leave and now raising wages, Andy has seen how business in our Capital can thrive when workers are supported.

44 Table of Contents

Overview ...... 6

Ballot Initiatives Can Succeed Where Lawmakers Fail ...... 8

Ballot Initiatives Did Succeed Where Lawmakers Have Failed ...... 8

Economic Ballot Initiatives are Some of the Best Money Spent in Politics ...... 10

How The Fairness Project Contributed to National and Local Success ...... 11

• Early Investments Helped Get Campaigns Up and Running and Attracted Significant Additional Contributions ...... 12

• Using Data to Reach and Mobilize Key Demographics ...... 13

• Overall Strategic Advice ...... 16

• Enhanced Research and Messaging ...... 16

• Sharing Best Practices and Strategic Advice ...... 16

• Building Business Support: Fair Pay Today ...... 17

• Strong Digital Strategy and Support ...... 18

• Digital Supporter List-Building ...... 19

Just Getting Started ...... 19

5 In October 2015, built on the vision and Overview significant financial support of healthcare union SEIU-UHW, The Fairness In the weeks after the 2016 election, pundits Project launched with a simple but profound and progressives tried to make sense of mission to change policies and solve the an outcome that shocked the world. As it economic problems facing working people became clear Hillary Clinton would actually and their families in spite of the continued win nearly 3 million more votes nationwide failure of most politicians at the federal, than Donald Trump, the perverse nature of state, and local level. our country’s presidential selection process was once again fully revealed. For the No longer willing to wait for elected officials second time in 16 years, the wishes of the to do their jobs, The Fairness Project minority triumphed over the wishes of the backed state- and city-based ballot initiative majority, and a minority-supported president campaigns and raised national awareness of was put into office (Al Gore received more the need to bring economic fairness to tens votes than George W. Bush in 2000). of millions of people. The campaigns achieved this by putting political power directly into But inside this upside-down set of facts, if the hands of voters to enact the economic those who were struggling to analyze the improvements they want and need. In the outcome wanted to find some solid ground 2016 election cycle, those improvements to stand on, where the majority still ruled involved raising the minimum wage and and the votes of everyone mattered, they providing paid sick leave to millions. could look to four places – Arizona, Colorado, Maine, and Washington. Even as many The Fairness Project provides funding questioned why working people across the directly to ballot initiative campaigns, but country, especially in the industrial Midwest, unlike many other funders, it goes beyond seemingly voted against their own economic financial support to provide ongoing services self-interest by electing Donald Trump, voters that give these campaigns cutting-edge in these locations overwhelmingly supported tools to build broad grassroots support and ballot initiatives to raise the minimum wage ensure success on Election Day. Services for 2.1 million working people. This was include digital outreach and social media; in addition to the 6 million workers who data, analytics, and targeting; strategic received raises from ballot initiatives that planning; opinion research; media support; motivated lawmakers to act in California and national campaign coordination. and the District of Columbia. In total, ballot initiatives brought raises to 8.1 million And with little hope that the federal working people, more than 10 percent of all government will pass policies to reduce wage earners in the . In Arizona economic inequality and put more money and Washington, voters also approved paid into the pockets of working people, it will sick leave for 2 million workers. be more important than ever to make these gains through at the state Standing out of the spotlight but playing and local level. Using its successful model, a critical role in each of these efforts was The Fairness Project is poised to lead and a 13-month-old organization called The support those efforts. Fairness Project.

In every jurisdiction in which The Fairness Project worked, significant raises to the minimum wage were either voted into law on Election Day or, prior to being put to a vote, enacted into law by elected officials who cited the minimum wage ballot initiatives as their prime motivation.

6 The Fairness Project is now positioned to multiply its success in 2016, bringing even greater economic gains to more working people in more states in 2017 and 2018.

ARIZONA CALIFORNIA COLORADO

Passed 58.7-41.3%; raises for Passed by state legislature; Passed 55.1-44.9%; raises for 779,000 workers (+934,000 raises for 5.6 million workers; 488,000 workers; raises the will get paid sick leave); raises raises the minimum wage minimum wage $3.69 the minimum wage $3.95 $5 over six years over four years over four years

MAINE WASHINGTON WASHINGTON D.C.

Passed 55.5-44.5%; raises for Passed 58.1-42.0%; raises for Passed by city council; raises 181,000 workers; raises the 730,000 workers (+1 million for 127,000 workers; raises minimum wage $4.50 over will get paid sick leave); raises the minimum wage $3.50 four years; eliminates lower the minimum wage $4.03 over four years by 2024 over four years

Note: In both California and Washington D.C., elected leaders cited active minimum wage ballot initiatives supported by The Fairness Project as the driving force behind enacting the legislation.

7 Ballot Initiatives Ballot Initiatives Can Succeed Where Did Succeed Where Lawmakers Fail Lawmakers Have Failed

The ballot initiatives supported by The Congress has failed to raise the wage for Fairness Project showed the power of eight years and many states’ legislators issue-based direct democracy. Candidate- have dragged their feet for just as long. centered political campaigns are often So in 2016 voters took action in their own more theater than substance. They are states to pass extremely popular economic fraught with complex and often off-putting fairness policies. The minimum wage and interactions between candidates, confusing paid leave ballot initiatives were so popular – sometime contradictory – positions on in 2016 that they far outstripped the appeal a multitude of issues, and, in this election, of candidates. The measures passed by a blatantly false claims, fake news stories, and larger margin and bigger vote totals than the meddling of foreign governments. All the winning presidential candidate in all this confounds voters’ decision-making and four states. And, in Maine and Washington, turns them off to the idea that politicians more votes were cast for the minimum will improve their lives. wage ballot initiatives than were cast in the presidential race. That means that some Ballot initiatives, on the other hand, are supporters who turned out to vote for the relatively straightforward and simple, even initiatives didn’t vote for the top of the when opposing viewpoints are put before ticket. The widespread support shows that the electorate. these initiatives appealed to independents and voters of all political stripes. The results show that many people who voted for Trump or for more conservative down-ballot “Our families will dictate candidates also voted in favor of raising the minimum wage and providing paid the future of Arizona, sick leave. not politicians, not special interest groups, “For over a year, Arizona and not even a party.” Healthy Families, working with The Fairness Project, – Tomas Robles, Campaign Chair, Arizona Healthy Working Families has been reaching out to the Latino community and the

But ballot initiatives still need to compete organizations that are integral on a crowded and sometimes overwhelming to it. Our victory November field – with billions of dollars spent to get 8th was due to our investment voters’ attention – and break through to reach voters. That’s where The Fairness in our Latino community that Project can tip the scales. Providing the wants to fix their economy best and most cutting-edge political tools and create a better future for to effective ground-based organizations significantly raises the chances of success. their families.”

– Tomas Robles, Campaign Chair, Arizona Healthy Working Families

8 “Amendment 70 is one of the first things people [were] so excited to vote for. We did voter registration and people weren’t so excited about the candidates we had this election cycle, but as soon as we talked about Amendment 70 and the impact it will have for Colorado, they were so thrilled. They were like, ‘Where do I vote? Do I vote now? When?’”

– CARLA CASTEDO, COLORADO DIRECTOR, MI FAMILIA VOTA

*Senator Patty Murray was the only candidate to win by a larger margin than the minimum wage. She also was the only Senate candidate who campaigned on behalf of the minimum wage initiative and made it a major component of her campaign.

In coming election cycles, The Fairness Project will support ballot initiatives to advance economic fairness on more issues and in a growing number of states.

9 Economic Ballot Initiatives are Some of the Best Money Spent in Politics

This cycle, ballot initiatives proved to be some of the best money spent in politics by providing massive returns on investment. For the amount spent by The Fairness Project, there will be tens of billions of dollars in economic benefits to workers, their families, and entire communities.

10 How The Fairness Project Contributed to National and Local Success

The Fairness Project’s expertise helped guide local partners through the planning, signature filings, initial and post signature-gathering filings, and execution phases of their campaigns, helping them use their resources most effectively—and win.

The support The Fairness Project provided to these six ballot initiatives contributed significantly to the final outcome. The contributions included:

Conducting opinion research in partnership with the states to develop winnable ballot language and clear messaging to help drive campaigns

Developing data models that enabled campaigns to reach and mobilize voters who would be most impacted by and most likely to vote for the initiatives, especially women and people of color

Investing early through partnerships with state-based, grassroots organizations

Sharing best practices on what worked across the country

Counseling campaigns facing difficult challenges during various phases of the campaigns

Deploying staff to states to provide on-the-ground support

Building support from business leaders to negate opposition by showing that higher wages are good for business

Providing critical ongoing services throughout the campaigns, such as overall strategy, research, data analytics, and digital support in direct partnership with the state-based campaigns

Generating media coverage that gave greater visibility to the campaigns; elevating the issues to make sure they were in the public discourse leading up to Election Day; and encouraging candidates for office to take a position on the initiative

11 Early Investments Helped Get Campaigns Up and Running and California Governor Jerry Brown: Attracted Significant Additional Contributions “I guess what really Early money gave the state-based cemented this deal was... organizations credibility, and that enabled them to attract additional investment, quite frankly the specter hire top talent, and maintain a two-way of the initiative.” conversation with voters over the course of a year-long campaign. Our partners could spend their money efficiently – e.g. relatively less-expensive early media buys or signature gathering – and build a strong base of support that in most states forced the California Senate President opposition to effectively concede without pro Tem Kevin De Leon: much of a fight. Maine was The Fairness Project’s first “(T)here is a ballot initiative partner. Early funding allowed Maine’s existing grassroots campaign to collect that’s already qualified signatures at a lower cost – largely through and, short of any negotiated volunteers. They built one of the most successful business organizing efforts of all deal, it goes to the ballot. the states, with more than 600 businesses in And all the polling that I’ve support of the measure, far surpassing those opposed. The early money also allowed the seen…folks are supporting team to begin conversations with voters a minimum wage increase more than a year-and-a-half before Election Day. The Maine campaign used the additional across the board.” time to build early support among voters and awareness among journalists of the benefits of the most controversial part of the initiative that ended the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers. By the time the election D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser: cycle was in full swing, the opposition had virtually given up. “I think that the ballot In California and Washington D.C., early initiative really propelled organizing created enough of a groundswell of demonstrated support for the ballot everybody to act urgently, initiatives to propel legislative action to and we want to thank people raise the wage to $15. for making us all think In California, a crowded year for ballot clearly about what it means initiatives meant signature-gathering firms to not have good paying were charging $6 or $7 a signature by the time the cycle was in full swing. Because Lift jobs in the District and be Up California started early, it began collecting able to afford to live here.” signatures before demand drove up the costs and paid less than $1 for each.

12 The initiative qualified for the ballot on Using Data to Reach and March 22, 2016. Lawmakers in California recognized the inevitability of its passing, Mobilize Key Demographics spurring them to act. Legislation very similar to the ballot language passed on March 31 The fight to raise the minimum wage and was signed into law April 4. Governor disproportionately affects women and Jerry Brown credited the initiative campaign. people of color. Though women make up 50.8 percent of the population, 55 percent In Washington D.C., grassroots campaigners of workers impacted by these successful had a large coalition and deep infrastructure ballot initiatives are women. Similarly, in that allowed them to move past legal California, Latinos make up 38.8 percent of challenges to the measure and prepare to the population, but 55 percent of workers collect signatures to qualify it in spring 2016. affected by the minimum wage increase Polling in support of the measure was nearly were Latino. 90 percent, and that, plus the inevitability that it would qualify for the ballot propelled Unfortunately, those most affected by the Mayor Muriel Bowser and the city council measures were also the least likely to go far to reach an agreement in June to raise the enough down the ballot to vote on them. minimum wage to $15. To combat this, The Fairness Project for the first time brought data and analytics to grassroots state campaigns by creating highly sophisticated modeling and targeting “TFP’s involvement was tools that otherwise were unlikely to have been available due to their cost and of the ‘let us know how complexity. The Fairness Project provided we can help’ mold. They state partners with data modeling typically reserved for top of ticket campaigns. did not attempt to assert Ballot activists in Arizona, Washington, and Colorado used this data to find, reach, and control or undue influence. inform their most likely voters and preserve Rather, they offered this information for use in other social justice work and in the next election cycle. These insights and advice as models included: needed, and were clear • Support Model: Provides an individual- that TFP was supporting level view of support for the ballot measures that traditional polling cannot. the campaign leadership, • Turnout Model: Predicts each individual not attempting to override voter’s likelihood of voting in the election. the campaign’s strategy • Ballot Completion Model: Identifies or direction.” voters who may need extra attention to ensure they vote on all the questions – Carlo Caldirola-Davis, on the ballot, not just President or U.S. Campaign Manager, Washington state Senate and Congress. It can mean the difference between winning and losing. This model is unique to The Fairness Project and is new to campaigns this year.

• Persuasion Model: Predicts a voter’s likelihood of being swayed by a persuasive argument – either for or

13 against – and helps the campaigns target initiative’s polls began to tighten just the voters for whom the pro-measure as Election Day neared. The ballot persuasion messaging will work. completion model was particularly useful for this campaign by helping identify • Get-out-the-Vote (GOTV) Model: voters and increase the margin of victory Predicts the efficiency of reaching out to to more than 10 points, surpassing an individual voter with a GOTV message expectations. so campaigns can focus their resources on speaking with voters who both need • Washington: The campaign reported GOTV and are very likely to respond to it. that The Fairness Project modeling was an immediate upgrade to their field • Vote-by-Mail Model: Helps campaigns organizing, offering a degree of accuracy predict who is likely to request a mail-in and efficiency the campaign had not ballot so they can time their outreach seen before and would not have had on to a specific voter based on his or her its own. The models will have an impact propensity to return their ballot early. on the entire progressive infrastructure This information is critical given that each in Washington because every union in election, more and more voters cast their the state now has information on voters ballots prior to Election Day. who support increasing the minimum wage. This will allow them to continue to The models were highly successful and organize around this and other economic received high praise from the campaigns for issues beyond the lifespan of the ballot making their outreach more efficient, cost- initiative campaign. effective, and successful. The modeling had an impact on all parts of the campaigns’ • Washington D.C.: The Fairness Project’s programs, including targeting, media buys, efforts confirmed the campaign’s own and direct mail, which contributed to the data work. Our funding allowed the increased popularity of these down-ballot campaign to access top technology initiatives. While ballot campaigns typically like the VAN database, ensuring any anticipate approximately five percent fewer information captured through their votes than the top of the ticket in these efforts would be available for use in states, our partners reversed that trend. other campaigns and in election cycles to The drop-off on the minimum wage ballots come. Without these resources from The this year was approximately 1.45 percent in Fairness Project, data collection would Colorado and Arizona. In Washington, more not have been implemented from the people voted on the ballot initiative than on beginning of the campaign. the presidential race.

• Arizona: The models enabled the campaign to run a program that ensured “Having an experienced a set of candidates in targeted legislative districts incorporated the minimum national communications wage ballot initiative and minimum wage director helped us get messaging into their races. This included targeting voters who supported the coverage for Raise Up minimum wage as the first issue but also primed them with messages about their WA outside of our state.” own candidacies. The Arizona campaign hit 300,000 doors identified by the models. – Carlo Caldirola-Davis, Campaign Manager, Washington state • Colorado: The only campaign with a strong opposition, the Colorado

1414 PUTTING OUR CHILDREN FIRST

Kazoua makes minimum wage as a cashier at a grocery store in California. Her family lives paycheck to paycheck and struggles every month to cover the rent, bills, and groceries. Recently the family’s car and air conditioner broke down and they didn’t have the money to fix it, making getting to work and living comfortably a real challenge. She worries constantly about how she’ll pay the bills and afford food and other basics they need to live.

Mostly she worries about how to provide a better life for her son, Maliki. Her husband and she would love to move to a safer neighborhood to escape the many burglaries and other crimes where they live. They’d love to send Maliki to daycare so he can be around other children more and even send him to college one day. Until the wage increased, that all seemed impossible.

Earning $15 an hour, they can begin to afford to dream.

PUTTING OUR COMMUNITY FIRST

Ariana started working at Safeway in Washington state ten years ago. Over that time, she has met many coworkers like her, struggling at or near the minimum wage. She shared her thoughts, “When these people work hard and play by the rules, they don’t get ahead.” She sees firsthand how the system is broken. Ariana and her coworkers were unable to take time off when they or their families were sick, forcing workers to make difficult choices between caring for their loved ones or exposing customers to their illness.

That’s why she was a Citizen Sponsor of the minimum wage and paid sick leave ballot initiative. Now, she and her co-workers will earn higher wages and can take time off to care for themselves and their families.

15 Overall Strategic Advice Enhanced Research and Messaging Over the course of the campaign, The Fairness Project’s team provided trusted One of the more expensive needs at the strategic advice to support state partners in start of a campaign is polling, which can critical decision-making moments. run tens of thousands of dollars. Polls are critical to testing the viability of a measure, For example, The Fairness Project worked creating the ballot language to file with with the Colorado campaign to confront a a state or city, and creating a messaging possible onslaught of opposition ads worth framework that attracts voters. When these millions of dollars, when the campaign itself objectives are met, it allows campaigns had planned to spend under $1 million on to build infrastructure early and start television. Because of the relationship The attracting additional funding. The Fairness Fairness Project developed with the campaign, Project’s early opinion research funding it was able to step in and work with the team gave campaigns in California, Arizona, and to reorganize their budget and bring another Maine the data to determine whether the million dollars into the campaign to produce issue was sufficient to build a strong base of ads that countered the opposition. supporters and where to target their efforts. Early polling allowed them to make informed decisions as the campaigns developed. “TFP provided the perfect level of support to the campaign. There were Sharing Best Practices and weekly communications calls, Strategic Advice [TFP’s Executive Director] In past cycles, ballot initiatives often resided in state-specific silos. Campaigns could participated in both Steering only learn from the experiences of the local and Executive Committee grassroots organizations immediately involved. calls, and he was diligent The Fairness Project also connected about returning calls and ballot initiative campaigns with nationally troubleshooting with renowned communications and digital strategists and organizers to help give them the campaign.” the boost they needed to win.

– Carlo Caldirola-Davis, In particular, The Fairness Project’s ability Campaign Manager, Washington state to work with reporters and generate social media attention created a national spotlight on how the ballot initiatives “We were able to do much would play a major role in raising wages. The Fairness Project worked with states to more precise targeting than elevate stories in the media that showed we otherwise would have. the hardship of low wages on families, Understanding our turnout and communities, and business, and showed roll-off universes were particularly clearly how ballot initiatives offered a solution. helpful in all of our field work.” In the final weeks of the election, The – Patty Kupfer, Fairness Project hosted press calls with Campaign Manager, Colorado campaign representatives and national

16 The Fairness Project’s ability to provide strategic support and scale resources across the country removed the barriers between these campaigns to ensure the sharing of best practices.

4 STATES WILL VOTE ON RAISING MINIMUM WAGE If all four ballot initiatives are approved, they could directly benefit roughly 2.1 million workers, according to The Fairness Project, which partners with minimum wage campaigns across the country.

GOP POLS WON’T RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE — SO VOTERS ARE ABOUT TO Fed up with legislative inaction, labor advocates are AUMENTO AL SALARIO MÍNIMO VA putting wage increases directly before the voters. A LAS URNAS EN CUATRO ESTADOS Es hora de que los políticos atiendan estos reclamos, tomando en cuenta que muchos niños provienen de hogares de bajos recursos, o sumidos en la pobreza en EEUU.

reporters, offering campaigns a chance to a good model for boosting business and shape the national narrative surrounding the economy by improving employee their measures, identify their benefits, and retention and productivity and increasing highlight their impact. employees’ buying power. The Fairness Project played a key role in bringing this business coalition together and worked with Building Business Support: them as they made the compelling case that well-run companies can pay fair wages Fair Pay Today and thrive. Their public support for raising the minimum wage included contributions From the very beginning, The Fairness to the campaigns as well as special Project recognized the need to go beyond product labels, in-store displays, social the obvious base of voters to build support media outreach, and product giveaways. for our ballot initiatives—especially in the In Colorado and Maine in particular, this business community. coalition provided state campaigns with valuable and visible business support for The Fairness Project collaborated with the initiatives to counter opposition. private companies like Dr. Bronner’s (the top natural soap brand in North America) Developing these relationships made the and business organizations like Businesses difference in diminishing the opposition for a Fair Minimum Wage to create a large and neutralizing their arguments. Maine’s business coalition comprised of companies campaign courted such a wide range of committed to paying fair wages, like Organic small business buy-in that it discouraged Valley, Stonyfield, Seventh Generation, businesses opposed to the wage increase MOM’s Organic Market, and Maine Root. from organizing against it. These companies embrace fair wages as

17 Strong Digital Strategy The Fairness Project created a powerful customizable website designed around and Support common needs, but tailored each site to the specific requirements of the state From the very beginning, The Fairness campaigns. The Fairness Project team Project developed a strong digital presence, provided ongoing web support and training building a national audience of more than to ensure the campaigns best utilized these 150,000 subscribers on email, 80,000 tools and were able to build upon online users on Facebook, and 32,000 followers momentum to capture potential volunteers. on Twitter that allowed the organization to amplify each state’s messages. • Arizona: This state’s campaign launched later than many others, not until summer In addition to helping communicate with 2016. But with The Fairness Project’s supporters, The Fairness Project’s digital help, the campaign launched its website reach helped hone messaging by learning quickly, working to immediately collect what talking points and content activated information on potential supporters. key audiences across the country through email and social media. • Colorado: The campaign manager was hired after the campaign launched The Fairness Project also arranged and paid and was immediately swamped with for state campaigns to get advice from the developing the messaging plan and best talent from President Barack Obama’s handling operational concerns. The groundbreaking 2008 and 2012 digital Fairness Project stepped in to quickly operations that enabled them to maximize build a website that allowed the manager their online impact with minimum expense. to focus on getting the rest of the campaign off the ground. The Fairness Project often filled in gaps for state social media and email outreach • Washington D.C.: Despite support efforts until the campaigns could support from nearly 90% of likely voters, the their own channels. In Colorado, for example, campaign suffered an early setback from the state’s campaign did not have a digital a baseless lawsuit. Once the campaign manager until weeks following their launch. began collecting signatures, it needed The Fairness Project stepped in to develop a proper website quickly to collect new social content to attract online supporters. supporters through digital outreach. The Fairness Project team was able to get the The Fairness Project also saved campaigns campaign’s website online in time for the time and money by providing the most launch. cutting-edge tools for managing websites, an important yet often-neglected campaign tactic to communicate with supporters. “We would not have had a website without The Fairness “We were late in the game Project. This platform proved bringing on our social media staff to be quite successful as both and Sandra from The Fairness Project was a huge help in getting a repository and reference us through until then, drafting and point for our messaging.” making graphics for us.” – Suzanne Wilson, – Patty Kupfer, Campaign Manager, Arizona Campaign Manager, Colorado

18 Digital Supporter List-Building

The Fairness Project built an email list on the national level of more than 150,000 supporters that included supporters in each target state. After cultivating the list on the national level, TFP provided the Arizona and Colorado campaigns with lists of local supporters as they got off the ground.

The Fairness Project also provided campaigns with best practices on mobilizing supporters through email to ensure communication was as effective as possible.

Just Getting Started

There is no doubt that 2016 was a profoundly difficult year for those who support progressive change. But The Fairness Project was able to buck the trend by utilizing ballot initiatives to achieve sound economic policies that will continue to bring critical improvements to the lives of working Americans. Starting in January 2017, millions of workers saw bigger paychecks, and that will continue for years to come. By putting solutions to our broken economy directly before voters, The Fairness Project is helping to tip the scale of power in favor of working families and clearing a path forward for economic fairness. This model, which unites a national team with effective, grassroots organizations to share resources and expertise, is a game-changer.

The Fairness Project is looking forward to going beyond minimum wage, building on the success of 2016 and taking to heart the lessons learned this cycle to work even more effectively and with even more states and localities in 2017, 2018, and beyond. Together, we will bring positive economic change on a massive scale to American workers and their families.

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