On Wednesday, labor and social activists will rally outside the Dunkin’ Donuts at 568 Belmont Ave., as part of a national day of action in support of raising the minimum wage. The event takes place from 3 to 4 p.m.
Earlier in the day, activists will also gather at the Hadley Walmart, on Route 9, from noon to 1 p.m.
The federal minimum wage now stands at $7.25 an hour. In Massachusetts, it’s slightly higher—$8—although supporters of an increase say that’s far from adequate. “Minimum wage just isn’t enough to make ends meet for working families in Massachusetts,” says Western Mass. Jobs With Justice in an announcement of Wednesday’s action. “It’s stuck at eight dollars an hour and it’s been five years since minimum wage workers in Massachusetts got a raise. They can’t afford the basic necessities, and it’s an everyday struggle to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.”
A bill pending at the Statehouse would raise Massachusetts’ minimum wage from $8 to $11, through gradual increases over three years; starting in 2016, it would be tied to the Consumer Price Index.
Jobs With Justice notes that the Mass. events are also in support of a bill that would grant earned sick days for workers. For more on that effort, click here.
For more information about the local events, contact wmjwj@wmjwj.org.
