People should work to live, not live to work. 

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Everyone deserves a salary that allows them to live a life worth living. Workers need more than an income that barely allows them to survive in the current economy.

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The “minimum wage” is just that, “minimum.” It only allows people to live a minimum life. They can’t save, go to school, and they are always just one mishap away from bankruptcy or homelessness. Hard Working people should not have to toil long hours for a wage that doesn’t support their lives or families. People who claim their neighbors don’t want to work are missing the reality these workers are facing every day. It’s not because people don’t want to work, it’s because they can’t afford to. Between the cost of childcare, elder care, housing, transportation and food, stagnant wages can’t keep up. Something has to give. This often means choosing between staying home to care for one’s family or working at a job that doesn’t pay enough to pay someone else to provide that care. 

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There are many cogs in the wheels that allow our society to function. No matter what sort of “cog” one is, everyone has a right to prosper so they can enjoy their lives and families. Unfortunately, prosperity that comes as a result of improving one’s skills is often tied to access to education. For example, here in Washington we’ve seen the number of qualified workers in technical vocations decline. Educating to change this trend can lift people out of dead-end jobs and help move our nation towards a healthier economy. In fact, no matter what one chooses to study, whether in a traditional college or in a technical school, the benefits of higher education demonstrably serve the greater good.

In addition to supporting wages that keep up with costs and education to improve one’s employability.

 

 I have always been and will continue to be a staunch supporter of our labor unions. Unions allow workers to negotiate from a position of strength and receive training, support, and upward mobility. That is why all of my campaign merchandise and printed materials come from union shops.