Boston University students rallied Tuesday at Marsh Plaza in support of Fight for $15, a national movement that advocates for raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour.
About 10 students and activists held up a large poster that read, “Fight for Dignity, Fight for 15” and handed out fliers, including information about an upcoming #WageAction rally on April 14 in Boston.
Latiana Holmes, one of the organizers of the speak out, used a megaphone to speak about the troubles workers experience living on a minimum wage salary. She said her goal is to raise awareness and have more people involved in the push for a higher minimum wage.
“I am just trying to make a living for me and my son and hope people can come out on the 14th to fight for 15 and join the union [of supporters],” she said. “The minimum wage is not okay at where it’s at. It’s hard living in Boston and living where wage is under $10.”
Holmes said it has been difficult working 40 hours a week and not earning much money.
“I am speaking because I am a factory worker, and I want to fight for 15,” she said after her speech. “I work at Dunkin’ Donuts, and a friend of mine told me about the fight for 15 and how we could change things.”
Anthony Zuba, a BU alumnus from the School of Theology, spoke publicly for about 20 minutes about Martin Luther King Jr., an School of Theology alumnus, and how there should be more income equality.
John Griese, a senior in the College of Engineering, said BU Fight for $15 would like to bring in more partners to help spread awareness. He said with the rate of inflation, minimum wage hasn’t increased, which has become a problem.
“At the speak-out, we want to show why it’s important to us, why it’s important to [BU students] and how they can help,” he said. “A minimum wage hasn’t really increased at a rate that keeps up with inflation.”
In 2014, thousands marched in Massachusetts in the #WageAction rally to fight against income inequality, spreading the momentum about raising the minimum wage, according to flyers passed out at Tuesday’s rally.
Alanna Billups, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, who is on the BU Fight for $15 committee, said the current federal minimum wage is not enough to provide support to individuals and families trying to make a living.
“Workers are fighting all over the nation and striving to get minimum wage raised to $15 and to fight for unions because they don’t make a living wage … we are getting support all over the country,” she said.
The #WageAction rally will start on April 14 in Kenmore Square and will continue all the way to Northeastern University, Billups said.
