Freeman family | Flickr Creative Commons

Washington State has made history. On November 8th, people all across the state voted to pass Initiative 1433, which will guarantee access to paid sick days for all workers and increase our state minimum wage to $13.50.

The Economic Opportunity Institute helped make paid sick days a winning issue and has been a leading voice for strong minimum wage policy. Because of people like you, school nurses like Susan will know that her students can get better care, without putting family finances in jeopardy.

I’ve been a school nurse for 22 years. There is no other job I’d rather do. But when parents don’t have paid sick time, our students suffer. They often spend long hours in my office waiting for their parent to come pick them up. It breaks my heart. Sometimes kids are sent to school even though they are sick, putting the other kids and teachers at risk. I work at a school that serves a lot of low income families, so parents have to choose between paying the bills and staying home with their kid. It’s an impossible choice.” –Susan

This impossible choice is now behind us – and our victory would not have been possible without your support. Can you help us continue the fight?

DONATE HERE

 Your donation will help us continue to WIN BIG for working families.

We can’t rest for long, because we know that families are still under the gun of urgent economic pressures – especially after the dangerous display of ugliness and hatred we’ve seen this month in our federal election. We desperately need your support so we can battle back. Quite simply, we cannot do this work without you.

Working people will face enormous battles in our country in the coming years. Even without Donald Trump in the Oval Office, tuition costs have more than tripled at public universities in the past three decades. Women make a less than their male counterparts for the same work. Too many parents cannot afford the outrageous costs of childcare. New parents can’t afford a few weeks at home caring for their newborn, and adult kids can’t leave work to be with their dying parent. Now, in the days, months, and years ahead, we will see attempts to dismantle the progress for which we have fought so hard.

But all is not lost. Why? Because now more than ever, we will focus our efforts on being champions for local and state progressive policy. We will continue the fight for statewide Paid Family and Medical Leave, equal pay for equal work, a strong Social Security system, accessible higher education, affordable early learning, and progressive taxation. We can and will make gains that will help lead the whole nation to a better path, if we work together with persistence, boldness, and above all else, love for our common humanity.

We are standing up for working families. Will you join us?

DONATE HERE

Give now to stand up for the kind of Washington you want to see.

Special announcement: Every donation given above $100 by December 31, 2016 will be matched by a generous donor, up to $10,000! If you prefer to give another way, contact our Sam Hatzenbeler, Development Manager, to make your tax-deductible gift today.