Petition to Implement a $25 Minimum Living Wage for Essential Workers Nationwide with Federal Matching Contributions for Health Insurance

Women Dominate the Healthcare Workforce:
Women make up about 76% of the healthcare workforce in the United States. They are especially prevalent in lower-paid roles such as nursing assistants, home health aides, and personal care aides.

Significant Proportion of Single Mothers:
Nationally, around 27% of nursing assistants are single mothers, and 20-25% of home health aides and personal care aides are also single mothers. These roles are essential but often come with lower wages and fewer benefits.

Low Wages in Predominantly Female Occupations:
The median annual wage for home health aides and personal care aides is around $28,000, which is well below the threshold for a living wage in many parts of the country. For many single mothers, this income barely covers basic necessities.

Essential Workers During the Pandemic:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, these roles were deemed essential, meaning these workers had to continue working despite the risks. However, despite their critical role, compensation did not increase proportionately to the risks they faced.

Lack of Access to Benefits:
Many lower-paid healthcare workers, including single mothers, often lack access to comprehensive healthcare benefits. This exacerbates the financial strain on these workers, who already struggle to make ends meet.
Poverty Rates Among Single Mothers in Healthcare:
Single mothers in healthcare roles are particularly vulnerable to poverty, with many relying on public assistance programs to supplement their low wages and cover basic needs like housing, food, and childcare.

 

This petition calls on the federal government to establish a nationwide minimum living wage of $25 per hour for all essential workers. Additionally, we urge the federal government to match employers’ contributions to health, dental, and eye insurance, ensuring that every essential worker has access to comprehensive, fully-funded healthcare benefits.

 

It’s time to give our essential workers across the United States the compensation and support they deserve for the sacrifices they make every day. The significance of this petition is far-reaching. The OECD reported that the United States has one of the highest proportions of low-wage workers among developed nations, with 25.3% of full-time workers earning less than two-thirds of the median wage. A raise to $25 per hour would significantly reduce poverty in households where an essential worker is the primary breadwinner (Center for Economic and Policy Research). Moreover, universal healthcare coverage is a right in many developed countries. As such, it's high time for the government to step up to the task and support not just in words but with concrete action to support our workers.

 

Let's rewrite the narrative for our essential working force. Sign this petition today. Let's demand fair wages and full healthcare coverage for all essential workers.

 

 

 

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS reports that as of 2022, women made up about 76% of all healthcare workers in the U.S.

Source: Economic Policy Institute (EPI). A report from the EPI in 2021 highlighted that approximately 27% of nursing assistants and 20-25% of home health aides and personal care aides are single mothers.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook provides data on median wages for healthcare support occupations, noting that home health aides and personal care aides had a median annual wage of approximately $28,000 as of 2022.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Department of Labor. These sources have documented the critical role of healthcare workers during the pandemic, including the continued need for them to work despite risks.

Source: National Women’s Law Center (NWLC). Reports from the NWLC have highlighted the lack of access to comprehensive healthcare benefits for many low-wage workers, particularly in female-dominated fields like healthcare support.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau and Economic Policy Institute (EPI). Data from these sources indicate that single mothers in low-wage healthcare jobs are more likely to live in poverty and rely on public assistance programs.