Towards Fair Wages Minimum Wage Wins and the Labor Coalitions That Drive Them

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Towards Fair Wages Minimum Wage Wins and the Labor Coalitions That Drive Them Towards Fair Wages Minimum wage wins and the labor coalitions that drive them Olivia Gee, Tiolora Lumbantoruan, Alekhya Mukkavilli, Brian Toy CRP 5074 | Fall 2020 This work was under the direction of Prof Mildred Warner as part of a larger project supported in part by the Cornell Center for the Study of Inequality. Executive summary Wages for middle- and low-wage workers have stagnated or fallen since the late 1970s with the only reversal against this trend coming from state and local minimum wage increases (Mishel et. al., 2015; NELP, 2020). Minimum wage State preemption laws inhibit local minimum wage movements across 26 states (Economic Policy Institute, 2019). As such, workers across the country are increasingly unable to afford rising costs of living in urban localities. This reality poses both political and economic obstacles for city managers as local business communities experience higher turnover rates, and greater funding must be allocated to municipal social programs where hourly wages fail to meet the cost of living. In response to the common scenario of state preemption in the context of minimum wage, this study provides four case studies: Flagstaff, Arizona; St. Louis Missouri; Tampa, Orlando, and Miami, Florida; and Greensboro and Durham North Carolina. In each case, urban minimum wage movements realized raised wages in fiscally conservative subnational environments. The city level is a promising stage for these initiatives, because cities house advocacy networks that can force legislative change either at the state or local levels and can lead ballot initiatives. This study finds that coalitions of workers, advocacy groups, and supporting government officials, referred to as “labor coalitions” throughout the report, are crucial to raising wages. Forming and bolstering these coalitions should therefore be central to any minimum wage increase movement. This report’s main contribution comes in the form of a set of strategies that labor coalitions can use to achieve minimum wage increases, as depicted in Figure 1 below (reference page 5 for more details). Figure 1: Local government strategies to achieve minimum wage increases Introduction Why must minimum wages change? Why start at the city level? This study examines local minimum wage The city serves as a promising starting movements within contexts of state point for these initiatives because it preemption. Despite increases in worker harbors urban advocacy groups that can productivity and living costs nationwide, push legislative change either at the local the federal minimum wage has not level or scaled up to the state level. Cities increased since 2009 when it was set at can also draw on pools of grassroots $7.25 per hour (U.S. Dept. of Labor 2020). organizers, advocacy groups, unions, and As the federal minimum wage does not local government support to push for appear likely to increase, municipalities legislative action at the municipal or state and states must take the lead. Many level, or to bring these issues to voters at states have preemption laws that prohibit either jurisdictional level through municipalities from enacting local democratic processes. ordinances setting the minimum wage Why is finding a solution important? higher than the state minimum (see Figure 2). This study demonstrates that even in Higher wages can reduce turnover among such environments, coalitions can form to private employers and reduce demand for raise wages and effect positive change. social services provided by local government. This report aims to provide a Figure 2: States with minimum wage resource for local advocacy groups and preemption laws local governments when they know preemption is a possibility or reality in their state. Four case studies of city-level coalitions that succeeded in raising wages within fiscally conservative states are examined in this report. Findings highlight disenfranchised workers’ advocacy that expands to political movements are crucial to raising wages in all four cases. Source: Economic Policy Institute (2019). Worker rights preemption in the U.S. https://www.epi.org/preemption-map/ 1 Parameters & Case Studies Parameters Framework Geographies Sources We used the following We chose seven cities We used a mixture of framework to understand that represent different public information and how these coalitions minimum wage increase interviews were formed and the strategies used in states • Public Information: level of government at hesitant to increase local news, academic which success was minimum wages: literature, social achieved: • Flagstaff, AZ media, advocacy group 1. History and Context • St. Louis, MO websites 2. Relevant Stakeholders • Miami, Tampa, & • Interviewed individuals 3. Coalition Formation Orlando, FL for: background 4. Coalitions’ Political • Greensboro & Durham, information, Flagstaff Strategies NC case study, Florida case study 5. Level of Government Case study summaries (linked to detailed case studies in appendix) Case Study #1: Flagstaff, Arizona organizations, such as the National (2016) Employment Law Project and ROC United. The coalition’s strategy emphasized voter In 2016, local organizers led a education through social media outreach legislative effort against state and door-to-door canvassing to secure preemption, resulting in a wage the ballot initiative in 2016. The outcome increase through a ballot initiative (Prop was the passage of local Prop 414 and 414). This scheduled a minimum wage the defeat of local Prop 418, with local raise to $15 by 2021. Two years later, in wages scheduled to reach $15 by 2021. 2018, the same coalition defended the raise against an oppositional amendment (Prop 418). Eva Putzova, a Case Study #2: St. Louis, Missouri City Council member, headed the (2017) coalition. Support came from college In 2013, a fast-food worker incident students involved via the Sustainable prompted organizing under the guidance Communities Department at Northern of SEIU and JWJ, leading to the City Arizona University, as well as from passing an ordinance in 2015 to raise the activists from the Flagstaff immigrant minimum wage incrementally to $11.00 community, many of whom worked in by 2018. This increase was contested for hospitality. Secondary support came from two years until the Missouri Supreme nonprofits and labor Court upheld it in May 2017. 2 Case studies (cont’d) However, the Missouri state legislature place during the coronavirus pandemic preempted the ordinance in August 2017. and because organizers ensured that the This was followed by two movements. amendment was put forth to voters, First, the Mayor, along with coalitions that despite the state introducing legislation had been fighting for the increase (Fight that increased the cost of sponsoring a for 15, JWJ), ran and promoted a ballot initiative (Eskamani, 2020). campaign called Save The Raise, asking business owners to raise their minimum wage voluntarily. This resulted in around Case Study #4: Greensboro (2015) 100 businesses pledging to do so. At the and Durham (2016), North Carolina same time, movements on the state level Local governments in North Carolina only started gaining momentum. The state have control over the wage rates of their movement, Raise Up Missouri, collected own employees. They are unable to enact signatures to enter a proposition on the legislation raising the minimum wage ballot titled Prop B. The St. Louis mayor above the state minimum for private at the time, along with local level sector workers. Greensboro coalition advocates and unions, supported this members included Working America, the action and advocated for their residents community affiliate of AFL-CIO, and to sign the petition. This led to the state- multiple single-issue grassroots level Prop B winning the vote for a organizations. Durham coalition members minimum wage raise to $12 by 2023. included Raise Up, the southern arm of Fight for $15, and UE Local 150, the North Carolina Public Service Workers Case Study #3: Tampa, Orlando, and Union. Coalition members worked to Miami, Florida (2020) convince city council members to increase Amendment 2, a Florida ballot initiative the minimum wage for municipal that will phase in a $15 minimum wage employees, and in Durham organizers by 2026, passed in 2020. A state-wide campaigned for private businesses to coalition consisting of grass-roots urban voluntarily pay a living wage. In 2015, organizers, state-level advocacy groups, Greensboro city council adopted a $15 national unions and union-like minimum wage for city employees by organizations, such as SEIU or Fight for 2020, with Durham city council following $15, and some city representatives acting in 2016. Interestingly, council members as private citizens led the movement. claimed moral instead of political John Morgan, a wealthy Florida attorney, authority when discussing their decisions also donated an estimated $6 million, and expressed hope that local although he was less involved in voter government could act as an example for outreach (Associated Press, 2020). private businesses to pay a living wage. Florida’s example of urban labor The voluntary campaign in Durham coalitions in Tampa, Orlando, and Miami resulted in nearly 100 businesses signing coalescing at the state level is especially on to pay their workers a living wage. noteworthy because voter outreach took 3 Key findings Process of coalition success Proponents of minimum wage increases that are part of coalitions can be separated into main actors and supporting actors. These two categories
Recommended publications
  • Download the Free QR Code Reader App
    FALL 2018 “You’re gay? ” Fighting back after a rescinded job offer Taxpayer funds can’t be used to discriminate ONE COUPLE’S FIGHT BEYOND K AVANAUGH Why all federal court seats are crucial THE FACES We N LGBT seniors: Lambda Legal and AARP OF NIKKO working together TAKING DOWN HIV STIGMA PAGE 8 One Nation. One Set of Laws for All. Sheppard Mullin is proud to support its LGBTQ professionals and salutes Lambda Legal’s efforts to secure equality for all. Beijing | Brussels | Century City | Chicago | Dallas | London | Los Angeles | New York | Orange County Palo Alto | San Diego (Downtown) | San Diego (Del Mar) | San Francisco | Seoul | Shanghai | Washington, D.C. www.sheppardmullin.com Stand Out. Be Proud. Sidley is honored to continue our support of Lambda Legal and applauds its tireless dedication to achieving equality for the LGBTQ community. Find out how we are standing up for equality at sidley.com/diversity Sally Olson Chief Diversity Officer One South Dearborn Chicago, IL 60603 Attorney Advertising - Sidley Austin LLP, One South Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60603. AMERICA • ASIA PACIFIC • EUROPE | +1 3122 853 7000.LAMBDA Prior results LEGAL do IMPACT not guarantee Summer a similar 2018 outcome. MN-8919 sidley.com THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING Dear Lambda Legal family, As we wish our outgoing CEO Rachel B. Tiven well on community to fight for the kind of country that we want her new endeavors, our eyes are focused on the future. The ours to be. threats we currently face are meant to strike fear in the hearts We approach this task with resolve but also with humil- of the LGBTQ community and everyone living with HIV.
    [Show full text]
  • A New Paradigm for Fairness: the First National Conference on Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Bias in the Courts
    1.-.- 3 -4185 00322265-I 9 J A New Paradigm for Fairness: The First National Conference on Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Bias in the Courts , P A New Paradigm for Fairness: The First National Conference on Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Bias in the Courts H. Clifton Grandy, J.D Edited by Dawn Spinozza I Chuck Campbell National Center for State Courts State Justice Institute t Q 1995 National Center for State Courts ISBN 0-89656- 160-7 National Center Publication Number 'R- 180 These proceedings were prepared and reproduced with finds fiom the State Justice Insti- tute, Grant Number SJI-93- 12A-C-B- 198-P94-( l -3), for the First NationaZ Conference on Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Bias in the Courts. The points of view expressed are those of the presenters and author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the National Center for State Courts or the State Justice Institute. Planning Committee Honorable Veronica Simmons McBeth Chair, Planning Committee Los Angeles Municipal Court, California Honorable Benjamin Aranda 111 Dr. Yolande P. Marlow South Bay Municipal Court Project Director, Task Force on Minority California Concerns, New Jersey Marilyn Callaway Honorable Jon J. Mayeda Director, Juvenile Court Services Los Angeles Municipal Court, California San Diego, California Honorable Carl J. Character Joseph A. Myers, Esq. Court of Common Pleas, Cleveland, Ohio Executive Director National Indian Justice Center Honorable Charles R Cloud Rose M. Ochi, Esq. Norfolk General District Court, Virginia Associate Director Office of National Drug Control Policy Honorable Lewis L. Douglass Honorable Charles 2.Smith King’s County Supreme Court, New York Justice, Supreme Court of Washington Dolly M.
    [Show full text]
  • Idahoans to Decide on Medicaid Expansion
    MMMRs- 2018 11 06 (Midterms Edition) Notebook: Curator: MMMRs Created: 11/6/2018 5:17 AM Updated: 11/6/2018 5:39 AM URL: https://www.bradenton.com/news/local/health-care/article221187925.html SourceURL: https://www.bradenton.com/news/local/health-care/article221187925.html Idahoans to decide on Medicaid expansion FILE--In this July 6, 2018, file photo, Dr. Kathleen Romito, M.D. hands a box full of signatures from Ada County to Kelly Goughnour, both of Boise, Idaho, at the Idaho Statehouse in Boise, Idaho. In a bucket-brigade-style delivery of more than 70,000 voter petitions from 44 counties, Idahoans For Healthcare volunteers delivered signatures to the Idaho Secretary of State calling for placement of a Medicaid expansion initiative the ballot. Voters will decide Proposition 2’s fate Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018. Idaho Statesman via AP, file Darin Oswald Health News Idahoans to decide on Medicaid expansion By REBECCA BOONE Associated Press November 06, 2018 01:37 AM Updated 4 hours 36 minutes ago BOISE, Idaho Of all the decisions Idaho voters are making on election day, the decision on whether to expand Medicaid to more low-income Idahoans might be the one that hits closest to home for many. The citizen initiative called Proposition 2 would expand Medicaid coverage to potentially more than 60,000 low-income adults across the state. Those residents are dubbed the "gap population," people who make too much to qualify for Medicaid in its current form but don't earn enough to get subsidized health insurance coverage under the state health insurance exchange.
    [Show full text]
  • Incarceration's Front Door: the Misuse of Jails in America
    Incarceration’s Front Door: The Misuse of Jails in America FEBRUARY 2015 (UPDATED 7/29/15) CENTER ON SENTENCING AND CORRECTIONS Ram Subramanian • Ruth Delaney • Stephen Roberts • Nancy Fishman • Peggy McGarry FROM THE PRESIDENT Incarceration’s Front Door addresses what is arguably one of the chief drivers of difficulty in our troubled criminal justice system: jails. The report’s encyclopedic examination of jail use—who’s in jail and the myriad paths lead- ing there—is meant to inform. But it should also unnerve and incite us to action. As Vera’s president, I observe injustice routinely. Nonetheless even I—as this report came together— was jolted by the extent to which unconvicted people in this country are held in jail simply because they are too poor to pay what it costs to get out. I was startled by the numbers of people detained for behavior that stems primarily from mental illness, homelessness, or addiction. I was dismayed by how even a brief stay in jail can be destructive to individuals, their families, and entire communities. And I’ve been at this work for a while now. I suspect that many readers will come to this report thinking that jail is reserved only for those too dangerous to be released while awaiting trial or those deemed likely to flee rather than face prosecution. Indeed, jails are necessary for some people. Yet too often we see ordinary people, some even our neighbors, held for minor violations such as driving with a suspended license, public intoxication, or shoplifting because they cannot afford bail as low as $500.
    [Show full text]
  • Ballot Guide As You Look Through the Bell Policy Center’S 2020 Ballot Guide, You’Ll Notice It Looks Different from Previous Years
    1 A Note About This Ballot Guide As you look through the Bell Policy Center’s 2020 Ballot Guide, you’ll notice it looks different from previous years. In order to provide clear and accurate analysis about how the 11 statewide measures will affect Coloradans, we adopted new criteria to inform our recommendations. For each measure, you’ll see there are three values every proposal is scored on: tax fair- ness, racial equity, and economic mobility. We chose these three as all are closely aligned to the Bell’s work and our organizational mission. Each value receives a rating (very bad, bad, slightly bad, neutral, slightly good, good, very good) based on how the ballot measure in question will affect these values. Based on our research and analysis, some proposals have more serious implications for tax fairness, racial equity, and economic mobility in Colorado. For that reason, we encourage you to pay close attention to the following measures: • Amendment B: Repeal the Gallagher Amendment (Support) • Proposition EE: Taxes on Nicotine Products (Support) • Proposition 116: State Income Tax Rate Reduction (Oppose) • Proposition 117: Voter Approval for Certain New State Enterprises (Oppose) • Proposition 118: Paid Family & Medical Leave Insurance Program (Support) 2 Repeal the Gallagher Amendment Amendment B repeals the section of the Colorado Constitution commonly known as the “Gallagher Amendment.” Passed in 1982, the Gallagher Amendment is a restriction on property taxes that limits Good. While property taxes are not necessarily progressive nor regressive, the total amount of property taxes that the reduced ability of local communities can be generated from residential prop- in Colorado to use property taxes has erty taxes, as opposed to non-residential required them to use the sales tax to a larger degree.
    [Show full text]
  • How the Fairness Project Changed the Lives of Over 17 Million Americans in Our First 5 Years
    BREAKING THROUGH AT THE BALLOT BOX How The Fairness Project Changed the Lives of Over 17 Million Americans in Our First 5 years BREAKING THROUGH AT THE BALLOT BOX How The Fairness Project Changed the Lives of Over 17 Million Americans in Our First 5 years Building a Movement to Support Working Families at the Ballot Box 3 TFP 2020 Campaigns Inspired Activism 4 Empowering Voters to Expand Health Care 4 Shifting the Political Math on Health Care 5 Making Health Care a Constitutional Right During a Pandemic 5 Guaranteeing Paid Leave 7 Ending Poverty Wages 7 Combating Systemic Racism 8 Winning Leave Policies that Support American Families 8 Responding to the COVID Pandemic 9 TFP’s Impact Record: Over 17 Million Lives Changed 10 TFP’s Ballot Initiatives Helped Define the 2020 Election— And Redefine What’s Possible 11 The Best Investment in Politics Is Also the Fastest Path for Change 13 Ballot Initiative Campaigns Bring Huge Results 14 The Fairness Project Builds and Supports Campaigns 15 Missouri Case Study: From Concept to Victory 16 www.thefairnessproject.org TWITTER fairnessproject• FACEBOOK-F projectfairness• instagram thefairnessproject Hundreds of volunteers in Oklahoma helped put Medicaid expansion on the ballot BUILDING A MOVEMENT TO SUPPORT WORKING FAMILIES AT THE BALLOT BOX Since its founding in 2015, no organization has a better track record of winning progressive issues at the ballot box The Fairness Project is now 20–1, winning 95 percent of its ballot initiative campaigns at a time when partisan gridlock and special interests
    [Show full text]
  • Studies of Voting Behavior and Felony Disenfranchisement Among Individuals in the Criminal Justice System in New York, Connecticut, and Ohio
    514 10TH S TREET NW, S UITE 1000 WASHINGTON, DC 20004 TEL: 202.628.0871 • FAX: 202.628.1091 S TAFF@S ENTENCINGPROJECT.ORG WWW.SENTENCINGPROJECT.ORG STUDIES OF VOTING BEHAVIOR AND FELONY DISENFRANCHISEMENT AMONG INDIVIDUALS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN NEW YORK, CONNECTICUT, AND OHIO ERNEST DRUCKER AND RICARDO BARRERAS MONTEFIORE MEDICAL CENTER/ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE September 2005 This report was written by Ernest Drucker and Ricardo Barreras, both of Montefiore Medical Center. The Sentencing Project is a national non-profit organization engaged in research and advocacy on criminal justice policy issues. Funding for this project was made possible by support from the Ford Foundation. The Sentencing Project is a partner in the Right to Vote Campaign, a national campaign to remove barriers to voting faced by people with felony convictions. Further information can be found at www.righttovote.org The authors would like to acknowledge support from the JEHT Foundation and the Open Society Institute, along with the following organizations and individuals who collaborated in the work and provided invaluable resources: JoAnne Page, David Rothenberg, and Barry Campbell (The Fortune Society); Joyce Hamilton Henry and Kathleen Miller (DemocracyWorks); Maureen Price-Boreland (Community Partners in Action); and Molly Weiser (the Racial Fairness Project). Ricardo Barreras was supported as a postdoctoral fellow in the Behavioral Sciences Training in Drug Abuse Research program sponsored by Medical and Health Research Association of New York City, Inc. (MHRA) and the National Development and Research Institutes (NDRI) with funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (5T32 DA07233). Points of view, opinions, and conclusions in this paper do not necessarily represent the official position of the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Special Announcements Opportunities for Classrooms and Schools
    SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS • Check out our “News” section for last minute additions to our grants newsletter • Have a project or activity you believe would have positive impact on the education of your students? The Delaware Valley Fairness Project’s Education Assistance program provides up to $500 for projects. For more information check out www.DVFAIRNESS.org • Check out the latest match offers from DonorsChoose, reminder get your Winter 2018 projects up soon! https://www.donorschoose.org/match-offers OPPORTUNITIES FOR CLASSROOMS AND SCHOOLS Smart Kids Grants, ALDI, Inc • Website: https://corporate.aldi.us/en/corporate-responsibility/aldi-smart-kids/ • Contact: ALDI, Inc.1200 N. Kirk Rd. Batavia, IL 60510 • Email: [email protected] (For questions) • Description: ALDI, Inc. offers Smart Kids Grants that support schools in promoting and encouraging student health and wellness. Funding may be used for programs, projects, and events that focus on education, the arts, physical activity, and nutrition. • Eligible applicants are public and private kindergarten through grade 12 schools and nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations that benefit children in the geographic areas where ALDI conducts business. Qualified applicants must be located near ALDI stores, offices, or warehouses in Alabama; Arkansas; California; Connecticut; Delaware; Washington, DC; Florida; Georgia; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Nebraska; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; Ohio; Oklahoma; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island, South Carolina; Tennessee; Texas; Vermont; Virginia; West Virginia; and Wisconsin. Applications must be submitted using the online system. • Eligibility: Public, Private, Charter, Other (including homeschool, 501 (c)(3) organizations) • Award(s): Awards range from $100 to $5,000.
    [Show full text]
  • A Rundown of Recent State Action Relating to Medicaid Expansion
    A Rundown of Recent State Action Relating to Medicaid Expansion June 04, 2018| Blog | VIEWPOINT TOPICS To date, 34 states (including D.C.) have adopted Medicaid expansion. Of the remaining 17 states, some are considering expanding Medicaid. States with recent activity relating to Medicaid expansion include - State & Local Government Relations Florida, Idaho, Maine, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Utah, and Virginia. Last - Health Care week, Virginia became the latest state to expand Medicaid and also tied a Medicaid work requirement to the expansion. California is also exploring expanding Medicaid to undocumented adults. Below we have highlighted recent state grassroots, legislative, and executive action to expand Medicaid. SERVICE AREAS - Health Care Approved Medicaid Expansion: Maine On November 7, 2017, Maine became the 33 rd state (including D.C.) to expand Medicaid and the first state to do so through a citizen’s initiative. The State legislature has previously voted on Medicaid expansion on five occasions. However, Governor LePage has repeatedly vetoed legislation expanding Medicaid. Maine Question 2 requires the State to provide Medicaid through the State’s MaineCare for the new expansion population. The provision expands Medicaid to persons under the age of 65 with incomes equal to or below 138% FPL. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services has 90 days after the effective date to submit a State Plan Amendment to the HHS. The Governor has failed to meet the April 3rd State Plan Amendment submission deadline. On April 30, the Maine Equal Justice Partners filed suit against the State claiming, “The failure to expand Medicaid is harming low-income Mainers who by law should be eligible to receive Medicaid insurance this year.” On Thursday May 24, 2018, Kennebec County Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy said , “Governor Paul LePage’s administration has a duty to enforce a voter-passed law.” According to local news, Judge Murphy did not indicate when she would issue a ruling.
    [Show full text]
  • 2017-Raise-The-Wage-Act-Sign-On
    The undersigned organizations enthusiastically support the Raise the Wage Act of 2017, as introduced by Senators Bernie Sanders (VT) and Patty Murray (WA), Representatives Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA) and Keith Ellison (MN). If enacted, this legislation would: Raise the federal minimum wage to $9.25 this year and increase it over the next seven years until it reaches $15 an hour in 2024; After 2024, adjust the minimum wage each year to keep pace with growth in the typical worker’s wages; Phase out the outdated subminimum wage for tipped workers, which has been frozen at a meager $2.13 since 1991; and, Sunset the much criticized ability of employers to pay workers with disabilities a subminimum wage through certificates issued by DOL. Phase out the subminimum wage for workers under the age of 20. At a time when wage stagnation and income inequality pose serious threats to our families and our economy, the Raise the Wage Act of 2017 would begin to reverse that cycle and raise pay broadly across the bottom of the workforce. According to data from the Economic Policy Institute, this Act will deliver long-overdue raises to a large segment of the workforce: more than 1 in 4 workers, 90% of whom are over the age of 20. The average age of workers who would get a raise is 36, nearly half have some years of college education, and 20 percent hold associate’s degrees or higher. In fact, those who work year- round would see a raise in the order of $3,500 a year, which is enough to make a tremendous difference in the life of a preschool teacher, bank teller, or fast-food worker who today struggles to get by on around $20,000 per year.
    [Show full text]
  • Return of Organization Exempt from Income
    efile GRAPHIC rint - DO NOT PROCESS As Filed Data - DLN:93493317000159 Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax OMB No 1545-0047 Form990 Under section 501(c), 527, or 4947(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code (except private foundations) ~ 2018 ~ Do not enter social security numbers on this form as It may be made public DepJrtmc-nt of the Open to Public ~ Go to www.irs.qov/Form990 for instructions and the latest information. TreJ..,ur\ Inspection Intem~d Re\ C"nuC" ~ef\ Ice A Forthe2019cra~le~n~d~a~r~~~~~~~~~~~~0~1~-~0~1~-2~0~1~8~~a~n~d~e~n~d~i~~1~2~-3~1-~2~0~1~8~ __~r- ____________________________ C Name of organization B Check If applicable D Employer IdentIfIcatIon number THE FAIRNESS PROJECT D Address change 37-1779557 D Name change D Initial return DOing business as D Final return/terminated J-~~----~--~~~~--~~--~~~--~~--~77--7T~--~7,te---------- E Telephone number D Application (202) 527-2066 City or town, state or proVince, country, and ZIP or foreign postal code WASHINGTON, DC 20009 G Gross receipts $ 6,363,274 F Name and address of principal officer H(a) Is this a group return for STEVE TROSSMAN 1342 FLORIDA AVENUE NW subordinates? OYes ~No WASHINGTON DC 20009 H(b) Are all subordinates Included? OYes ONo I Tax-exempt status 0 501(c)(3) ~ 501(c) ( 4 ) <II (Insert no) 0 4947(a)(1) or 0 527 If "No," attach a list (see instructions) J Website: ~ WWW THEFAIRNESSPROJECT ORG H(c) Group exemption number ~ L Year of formation 2015 M State of legal domicile CA K Form of organization ~ Corporation 0 Trust 0 Association 0 Other ~ 1 Briefly
    [Show full text]
  • TO: Interested Parties FROM: Amy Levin, Benenson Strategy Group RE: Recent Polling for the Fairness Project DATE: April 7, 2020
    TO: Interested Parties FROM: Amy Levin, Benenson Strategy Group RE: Recent Polling for The Fairness Project DATE: April 7, 2020 Benenson Strategy Group conducted a 20-minute national survey among 1481 likely voters using BSG’s proprietary SMS Research Methodology. The survey fielded from March 22-24, 2020. The margin of error is ±2.5% at the 95% confidence level. ➢ When it comes to the federal government’s pandemic response, voters are largely united in the belief that workers and families must come first. When asked which should be “a higher priority for the President and Congress to provide financial support to,” an overwhelming 81% of voters said low-income families and workers, compared to just 19% who said businesses and industries. ➢ There is clear agreement across the partisan spectrum that federal funds should go to sick leave and financial support for workers, not bailouts for big business. Nearly 9 out of 10 voters want the federal government to spend more money “helping cover sick leave for workers and ensuring families can pay the bills” than on “helping affected industries and businesses like airlines, hotels and restaurants.” This includes 98% of Democrats, 88% of Independents and 78% of Republicans who all prioritize sick leave and financial support for families over business/industry support. ➢ Americans want these solutions for the long term, not just a short-term fix. 79% of voters support “passing a national, permanent paid sick leave policy that guarantees all American workers a minimum number of paid sick days” – including 97% of Democrats, 77% of Independents and 63% of Republicans.
    [Show full text]