Minimum Wage Raise Initiative Placed on November Ballot -- We Believe Commits to Ongoing Public Engagement and Voter Outreach

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

(Columbus, Ohio) -- We Believe Ohio applauds the Ohioans for a Fair Minimum Wage successful campaign to place an initiative on the November ballot to increase the state minimum wage to $6.85. The statewide signature petition garnered over 363,000 valid signatures, reflecting a groundswell of support to raise Ohio workers' wages above the immoral federal level at which it has languished for almost a decade.

As newspapers across the state reported last week, poverty levels in Ohio have increased dramatically in the last year. These reports are a stark reminder of the economic injustice of Ohio's miserable minimum wage. But this Fair Wage initiative is one step on the long road toward positively affecting the working poor by lifting many low-wage workers out of poverty.

Clearly, there is tremendous energy in Ohio behind establishing a minimum wage to help restore its purchasing power, not just for goods and services, but for the self-esteem and self worth it affords the worker. The true testament to honoring the social and economic achievements of Ohio workers and the contributions each has to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our state, will be the passage of the initiative on November 7.

We Believe, and other members of the faith community, are lifting up our voices to seek justice for all of God's precious children, especially those who have to struggle daily to meet their basic needs in this, the wealthiest nation on Earth. From the outset, We Believe has committed to supporting this important ballot initiative. We Believe contributed to the signature gathering campaign and participated in a number of events promoting the Fair Wage campaign. We Believe will continue to spur public engagement and voter outreach around the initiative, including holding a Get-Out-The-Vote rally in early October and a voter turnout rally on October 22.

We believe our faith compels us to work for justice, and the fact that the current minimum wage worker makes about $6,000 below the poverty line for a family of three is a grave injustice.

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