New report reveals the startling numbers of Washington families

struggling with unlivable wages – especially families of color

 

SEATTLE— Amidst downtown Seattle’s lavish holiday trimming, a single mom, who works hard at a full-time job,  presents her family’s Christmas tree—true to this year’s family budget. Her demonstration brings home the facts that are revealed in a new study from Northwest Federation of Community Organizations (NWFCO) called “The Race for Wages: Living Wage Jobs in the Current Economy.” NWFCO, Washington Community Action Network and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21 present this modest family tree and the study results on Tuesday, Dec. 18th, 10:00 a.m. at Pike and 4th Ave., the south end of Westlake Center downtown.
 

“I know what my son wants for Christmas,” says Eleanor Knight, “but I’ll share with you what I can afford—and it’s not much. You’ll see our real family tree stripped to the basics.” As Knight cuts her budget down to reality, presents for her son are removed from beneath the tree.
 

Knight is not alone. NWFCO’s new study reveals that 64% of all African American workers do not earn a wage that can support a single parent raising one child in Washington State. In fact, 77% of all jobs in Washington do not provide a living wage for a single parent raising two kids. The new numbers are startling and show that living wage jobs are in short supply for all Washingtonians—but are even scarcer for families of color.
 

A living wage is defined as a wage that allows a family to meet basic needs without public assistance while providing some ability to save for a rainy day. A grocery clerk, Knight earns about $3 an hour less than a livable wage for a single mom in King County. With the rising costs of energy, transportation and health care, she struggles to make ends meet.
 

United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 21 works to improve the livelihood of workers in Washington State. This sometimes means pushing back employers who don’t pay livable wages or provide viable health care coverage.
 

“One of the biggest offenders is Wal-Mart and we’ve seen recent huge success in stopping that company’s growth in Snohomish County,” says Steve Williamson of UFCW. Studies show that when Wal-Mart moves into a community, it has a dramatic effect on local pay scales, replacing better paying jobs and driving down worker wages in competing industry sectors throughout the community.

UFCW 21