Conservative special interests are lobbying the Tacoma City Council hard right now, and we need regular people like you to reach out and tell members of the council why it is so critical that we raise the minimum wage to $15.

We’ve heard countless stories from workers who are barely making it, despite working full time. No one who works hard should be in poverty. Share your story with the city council today about how $9.47 simply isn’t enough to make ends meet in Tacoma.

Local data supports these individual stories. For instance, following the rule of thumb that housing should account for no more than 30% of one’s income, an individual would need to make $16.13 per hour just to afford a one bedroom apartment in Tacoma. And that’s only if they get a full 40-hour work week!

Raising the minimum wage is one of our best tools to fight inequality, build a thriving community, and boost our economy. Why? Because the current minimum wage of $9.47 isn’t cutting it.

We want the City Council to hear that from you! Email the Tacoma City Council and tell them what it takes to make ends meet in Tacoma.

Tell them about your household budget. How much do you make an hour? What are you able to pay for and purchase at this wage? If you are getting any sort of public assistance, tell them about that too.

On Tuesday, July 7, the Mayor and Tacoma City Council will consider proposals to increase the minimum wage recommended by the community taskforce they commissioned. The Majority Proposal from the Minimum Wage Task Force calls for a phased-in $15 minimum wage, and requires large businesses like WalMart to implement it faster than small, typically local companies. This is the kind of proposal we can get behind.

The fact is the City Council needs to hear from neighbors like you so that they will support the highest wage possible. Get started on your message to the Tacoma City Council right now.

P.S. Need a little help getting your email started? Feel free to use this template.