Rep. Ayanna Pressley is following the dream that the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once laid out nearly 60 years ago, which is to make sure that people who are willing to work have access to jobs.
In a letter that was published after his assassination, Dr. King wrote, “We need an economic bill of rights. This would guarantee a job to all people who want to work and are able to work.” Now Congresswoman Pressley is working to introduce guaranteed federal jobs.
“It’s been over 60 years since the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and it’s long past time we actualized the radical dream and legislative blueprint that leaders like Coretta Scott King and Sadie Alexander presented us with to affirm the fundamental right to dignified work and a living wage,” she said in a statement.
According to reports, this guarantee would provide people with a legal right to a quality job. The jobs include employment in child care, and the transit system and they will come with union protection and a mandatory minimum wage of $25.
Pressley believes that this new plan will not only help those who are unemployed but will make employers pay better wages and raise employment standards. It has been proven that almost six million people are unemployed in the U.S. and that 24% of workers are making less than $15 an hour.
Rep Pressley added, “As a central and unfulfilled demand of the civil rights movements, a federal job guarantee is our opportunity to finally reach full employment and help achieve long-term economic security for everyone who calls America home.”