Washington, D.C. (April 30, 2014) – Terry O’Sullivan, General President of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – made the following statement on the Senate Republican-led effort to block an up-or-down vote on the Fair Minimum Wage Act today:
“It is outrageous that a minority of Senators can get away with procedurally sabotaging a wage increase for American workers who are struggling the most to keep a roof over their heads and food on their tables for their families. To make matters worse, many of the same politicians who claim to care about job loss continue to turn their backs on those who are desperate to find work by failing to sustain unemployment insurance. It is shameful that a minority of politicians is blocking a vote on a measure that is supported by such a large majority of Americans.
“In addition to extending insurance for those looking for a job, phasing in a small increase in the minimum wage could lift almost a million people out of poverty, if only a few more Senate Republicans had the moral courage to do more for those who have the least. Yet, too many of them are beholden to the CEO’s who pay themselves 273 times more than their average workers. This type of greed poses a grave threat to the future of our economy.
“LIUNA and others who represent the interest of working families will continue to keep up the fight because we understand that an investment in all Americans offers a return for every American.”