Minimum wage workers are not all teenagers bagging groceries at the corner store.  They’re not just on the first rung of the ladder to the American dream.  They are mostly women, disproportionately of color and in service industries where there’s no way up or out.

They’re the men and women who hand you your change, clear off your tray and say “have a nice day” on your way out the door.

And they haven’t had a raise in years. In fact, their pay has gone down because it’s not indexed to inflation.