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Edition Electronique
Vol. 10 • No. 26 •
Du 4 Jan  au  10 Jan 2017
Electronic Edition
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Notre Editorial
 
English Wikileaks Wikileaks en français Wikileaks
 
 
 
 
Vol. 8 • No. 39 • Du 8 au 14 Avril 2015
The Fight for a $15 an Hour Minimum Wage

by Kim Ives

 

orielOn Wed., Apr. 15, thousands of workers, many of them members of the union SEIU1199, will gather at West 64th Street (between Broadway and Central Park West) in Manhattan at 4:00 p.m. to demand a $15 an hour minimum wage and a union for all low wage workers.

The demonstration is part of a nationwide mobilization in New York, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington, DC to demand $15 an hour and to fight out-of-control inequality in the U.S.. As the health-car industry grows and shifts to outpatient settings, employers are trying to drag workers into a race to the bottom. Although the U.S. economy is growing, all the profits are going to the top 1%.

To understand more about the $15 an hour campaign, Haïti Liberté spoke to Stephania Henry, a Haitian home care worker who is represented by 1199. Stephania was born in Port-au-Prince and grew up in Delmas before moving to the U.S. five years ago.

Stephania, please tell us about where you work and what you do?

I’m a home care worker for the past four years. I work in the Bronx for Cooperative Homecare, but I live in Harlem. My commute is about 35 minutes. The woman I take care of, I have to do everything for her. She can do nothing for herself. It is hard work. I wake up at 5:30 a.m and have to be at work at 7 a.m. I often work for 12 hours a day or 50 hours a week.

When I first started, I made $8 an hour. We home care workers want to help people, and that is rewarding, but the money we make is important too. We have to be able to survive, to pay our rent. That is what we’re trying to do on April 15: win a living wage for our members, for all workers.

How did you become involved in the movement for a $15 an hour minimum wage?

I first heard about the movement from co-workers. I met my 1199 organizer about two weeks after I started to work. She talked to me about 1199, how it is fighting for workers. As workers, we have to stand up for ourselves. Now I’m a delegate. We don’t just need $15 an hour. We deserve it. Our work is not easy.

Furthermore, the price of everything is going up. Subway fare is now $2.75. Rents and food prices are rising.

What do you say to employers who say that they cannot afford a higher minimum wage and that it will lead to an economic downturn?

I don’t believe that. The more workers are paid, the more we will spend, and the better the economy will be. Paying us $15 an hour is a minor expense anyway. It will make us more effective, more motivated. We are no longer in the time of slavery. We will not be slaves.

Why a $15 an hour minimum? What about President Obama’s proposal of a $10.10 minimum wage?

$10.10 an hour instead of $15? That’s laughable. Rent, food, clothes, lights: you can’t afford those on $10.10. For example, I don’t yet have a family, but I can’t afford a one bedroom apartment. Can you imagine that? Now think of a worker with kids, supporting a family. I get up at 5:30 a.m. and get home at 8 p.m., and I can’t afford a one bedroom. I can’t afford a lot of things. No, $10.10 is not serious.

How widespread is the $15 minimum wage movement in the United States?

This movement is mobilizing low-income workers in many sectors and in many states. I see the involvement of workers from McDonald’s, Wendy’s, department stores, and of course homecare workers. We have to stand up for ourselves, because no one else will do it.

Yesterday, I was at an H&M department store. A guy working there told me: “On April 15, you have to be at the rally.” He was telling me! I was surprised at first. He said that he was trying to motivate everyone he could to come out to the demonstration. Then I realized that we’re all in the same boat. And together we are a major force. This movement for a living wage is sweeping across the U.S., and it’s about time.
 


À bas la vie chère !Manigat, Madistin seek MOPOD nomination for President of Haiti
by Samuel Maxime, The Sentinel

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (sentinel.ht) - The political coalition turned party, Popular Patriotic Dessalinien Movement (MOPOD), saw a two heavyweights ask for its nomination for President of the Republic of Haiti. On Mar. 25, newcomer Samuel Madistin announced his intention to seek the party’s nomination, while on Mar. 27, it was former First Lady Mirlande H. Manigat.

Vol. 8 • No. 38 • Du 1 au 7  Avril 2015
 
 

 
 
 
 
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