Sanders on Sub-Minimum Wage

Yesterday the Sanders campaign released a statement on New York's new 15$ minimum wage law. So much credit goes to the fight-for-15 folks who have the seemingly impossible into a new norm in progressive states around the country.

On disability, Sanders wrote [my emphasis]

“I’m proud that today two of our largest states will be increasing the minimum wage to a living wage of $15 an hour – raising the wages of some 9 million workers in this country. Not too long ago, the establishment told us that a $15 minimum wage was unrealistic. Some thought it was ‘pie-in-the-sky.’ But a grassroots movement led by millions of working people refused to take ‘no’ for an answer. Loudly and clearly workers said, ‘yes we can increase the minimum wage, not just to $10.10 an hour, not just to $12 an hour, but to a living wage of $15 an hour.’
“This campaign is about building on these successes so that everyone in this country can enjoy the dignity and basic economic security that comes from a living wage, no matter what state they live in. That includes ending the subminimum wage for tipped workers and persons with disabilities.

As noted by RespectAbility, this isn't Sanders' first statement on subminimum wage, but I like seeing it here. I want the issue firmly entwined with the fight-for-15$ movement.

#CripTheVote on Sub-Minimum Wage Policy

A few months ago I wrote about Clinton's policy on helping people with Autism and their families. More recently, I wrote about disability entering the political frame of "interest groups."

Yesterday (Monday, 3/28), I was alerted by Ari Ne'eman of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network that Clinton was asked by an autistic adult about subminimum wages for disabled workers. Clinton's reply was excellent (transcript from Ne'eman):

"When it comes to jobs, we've got to figure out how we get the minimum wage up and include people with disabilities in the minimum wage. There should not be a tiered wage, and right now there is a tiered wage when it comes to facilities that do provide opportunities but not at a self-sufficient wage that enables people to gain a degree of independence as far as they can go. So I want us to take a hard look at raising the minimum wage and ending the tiered minimum wages, whether it's for people with disabilities or the tipped wage....When people talk about raising the minimum wage, they don't always talk about the legal loopholes that we have in it and I want to get rid of those and I want to get rid of that for people with disabilities too."

Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvcPtKZo7yE&feature=youtu.be&t=47m30s

Here's what comes next:

If you are not a Clinton supporter, you need to push your favorite presidential candidate to take a public position, not on their website, but in their speeches, on this issue. It's not enough to just "know they would be good on this," because for generations politicians generally good on social issues have failed disabled Americans. 

If you are a Clinton supporter, you need to push your favorite gubernatorial, Congressional, or more local candidates to take a public position on this.

A few years ago, Senator Reid appointed a friend of his who promoted sub-minimum wage and sheltered workshops to the National Council on Disability. That can't happen again. Let's shift the window.