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Press Release · April 28, 2026

Media Advisory

Past Event · April 28, 2026 ↓ Download PDF
Living Wage For All Coalition
One Fair Wage NAACP PolicyLink National Education Association Center for Popular Democracy

MEDIA ADVISORY: Tuesday, April 28 · 9:00 AM ET

BILL: H.R. 8555 — Read on Congress.gov · Congressional Record (Apr 28, H3131)

CONTACTS: One Fair Wage · press@onefairwage.org · 917.499.2688

Reps. Delia Ramirez and Analilia Mejía Introduce $25 Federal Living Wage Bill Backed by Growing Coalition of Workers, Unions, and Lawmakers — Including Progressive Caucus Leadership

Original cosponsors include Reps. Rashida Tlaib, CPC Chair Greg Casar, and Lateefah Simon — alongside SEIU, AFT, NEA, RWDSU, NAACP, and others, signaling a major moment in the push to raise wages and address affordability.

In an affordability crisis, raising paychecks is as essential as lowering prices — there is no place in America where a worker can afford to live on less than $25 an hour.

Washington, DC — On Tuesday, April 28 at 9:00 AM, days before the largest May Day mobilizations in years, labor, civil rights, and economic justice leaders from across the country gathered at the U.S. Capitol to stand with Rep. Delia Ramirez (IL-03) as she introduced the Living Wage For All Act (H.R. 8555), a landmark federal bill cosponsored by Rep. Analilia Mejía (NJ-11) that would raise the federal minimum wage to $25 per hour — the floor that working families need to meet the real cost of living in America today.

Momentum around the legislation accelerated rapidly in the lead-up to the introduction, with major national unions including SEIU, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the National Education Association (NEA), and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) joining a growing coalition of more than 100 labor, civil rights, and economic justice organizations backing the bill. Rep. Ramirez and Rep. Mejía were joined by Members of Congress including Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Rep. Chuy García, signaling a broad and expanding base of support within Congress and across the country.

The event featured Members of Congress, national leaders from the Living Wage For All Coalition, and directly impacted workers from across sectors sharing why the affordability crisis is not just a cost-of-living crisis, but a wage crisis — urging Congress to raise the minimum wage to a living wage to meet the true cost of living.

The legislation sits at the center of a rapidly expanding national push to match wages with the real cost of living. Across the country, campaigns are already moving at $25 and above — with $30 proposals advancing in Alameda County and Los Angeles, $27 legislation in Illinois, $30 efforts in New York, and $25 campaigns underway in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. These are part of a coordinated, multi-front strategy backed by a coalition of more than 100 labor, community, and social justice organizations. The Living Wage For All Act brings that momentum to the federal level — translating what workers and voters are already fighting for across states and cities into a national standard.

The federal minimum wage has remained stuck at $7.25 since 2009. For more than 17 years, workers have absorbed rising costs for rent, groceries, childcare, and healthcare while their wages have remained stagnant. The Living Wage For All Act establishes a new national wage floor grounded in economic reality, not political compromise.

Event Details

WHAT: Press Conference — Introduction of the Living Wage For All Act

WHEN: Tuesday, April 28, 2026 · 9:00 AM ET

WHERE: House Triangle, U.S. Capitol Grounds, Washington, DC

Confirmed Speakers

Backed By

A national coalition of labor, civil rights, and economic justice organizations, including:

Background

The Living Wage For All Act would raise the federal minimum wage to $25 per hour through a phased approach that reflects both the cost of living and the structure of the modern economy.

The bill establishes a two-track phase-in, requiring large, highly profitable corporations to lead the transition. Large employers would reach $25 by 2031, while smaller employers would phase in more gradually, reaching $25 by 2038.

To ensure wages do not fall behind again, the bill includes a built-in standard that keeps the minimum wage aligned with typical wages across the economy. As the economy grows and wages rise, the minimum wage rises with it.

The legislation also eliminates all subminimum wages, including for tipped workers, youth workers, and workers with disabilities — ensuring that every worker is guaranteed a full wage from their employer, with no exceptions.

Quotes for Media

"Housing, gas, and grocery costs have all surged, yet the federal minimum wage hasn't been raised since 2009. This is unacceptable. No one working full time should be struggling to survive. We need an economy that reflects the realities of 2026, not one stuck over a decade ago. That's why I led the fight to raise New Jersey's minimum wage to $15 an hour. And it's why I'm proud to partner with Congresswoman Delia Ramirez on the Living Wage For All Act to raise the federal minimum wage to $25 an hour. This bill would transform millions of lives, ensuring working people earn a true living wage instead of being forced to choose between putting food on the table and taking care of their health. Americans deserve an economy that works for all, not just the billionaire class."

Congresswoman Analilia Mejía (NJ-11)

"The introduction of the Living Wage For All Act is a powerful testament to the worker-led movement that is forcing a new baseline for livable wages. While the affordability crisis continues to squeeze working families, SEIU members are organizing and pushing for even higher standards across the country. We applaud Rep. Ramirez for this bold $25-an-hour proposal — an important step forward that's driven by workers demanding the money, power, and respect that they've earned."

April Verrett President, SEIU International

"This is a worker-led movement that has grown from the groundbreaking Fight for $15 into a nationwide push for a true living wage. Across the country — from California to the Midwest to the East Coast — workers are organizing for $25 and $30 because that is what it takes to live. The polling shows this is not just popular, it is necessary. And 'for all' means exactly that: no worker left behind. This is what it looks like when politics begins to catch up to reality — and when democracy delivers real improvements in people's lives, it becomes tangible. A living wage is how we make that promise real."

Saru Jayaraman President, One Fair Wage

"We cannot talk about affordability without talking about what people are paid. This bill is about holding corporate America accountable and not letting billionaires, corporations like Amazon, and CEOs get away with blaming everything else for an affordability crisis they are helping drive. While prices rise and profits grow, workers are still being paid poverty wages instead of a true living wage. That has to change if we are serious about dignity and fairness in this economy."

Stuart Appelbaum President, RWDSU

"As the Trump administration rips more and more resources away from the classrooms and communities that need them most, all while handing more power and privilege to the wealthy and well-connected, workers across our country need this legislation now more than ever. By paying educators and education support professionals a living wage, they will earn the respect, competitive wages, and support they deserve to provide their students with the skills needed to fulfill their dreams. At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, the National Education Association is proud to stand up for the working class and support the Living Wage For All Act. An investment in workers is an investment in the future of public schools and our nation."

Becky Pringle President, National Education Association

"A living wage is about the kind of society we want — one where one job is enough; where if you work hard you will have a pathway to a life you and your family can live on, not one of constant struggle. This also hugely impacts education. When educators, paraprofessionals, school staff, and the families that make up our communities are paid less than what it takes to live, it destabilizes classrooms and weakens the foundation students rely on. When educators must work two and four jobs to make ends meet, how can they focus on their students? A true living wage is essential — and long overdue — to restoring dignity for workers, supporting families, and ensuring people can fully participate in their communities and in our democracy. That is how we build the thriving, stable environments every student deserves."

Randi Weingarten President, American Federation of Teachers

"For 17 years, Washington has left the federal minimum wage at $7.25 while working people have fallen further behind. Our communities don't need lip service or slogans — they're demanding real solutions that match the reality of this economy. A living wage is about dignity, but it is also about who holds power in this country. It is tied to every other fight for civil rights — from racial justice, to voting rights, to economic opportunity. When people are denied fair wages, they are denied the ability to fully participate in our democracy. The NAACP stands with this coalition because civil rights, racial justice, and economic justice are inseparable."

Derrick Johnson President & CEO, NAACP

"As business leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors, Voices for Progress members appreciate that the Living Wage For All Act supports employers like them who are not engaged in a race to the bottom on staff pay, and who recognize that putting money in the pockets of everyday Americans helps support local businesses. This moment reflects a growing recognition that affordability is not just about lowering prices — it's about ensuring people are paid enough to live on, so we can build an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top."

Sandra Fluke President, Voices for Progress

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About the Coalition & Member Organizations

Living Wage For All Coalition

The Living Wage For All Coalition is a national campaign of more than 100 labor, community, civil rights, and economic justice organizations working together to win a living wage for every worker in America. The coalition is advancing a multi-level strategy through federal legislation, state ballot measures, and local campaigns to raise wages, end all subminimum wages, and ensure that work pays enough to meet the real cost of living — with no exceptions.

One Fair Wage

One Fair Wage is a national organization of nearly 300,000 service workers, over 1,000 restaurant employers, and dozens of organizations nationwide all working together to raise wages for all workers, end all subminimum wages in the United States, and improve working conditions in the service sector in particular. One Fair Wage policy would require all employers to pay the full minimum wage with fair, non-discriminatory tips on top, thus lifting millions of tipped and subminimum wage workers nationally out of poverty. www.onefairwage.org

NAACP

The NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization, founded in 1909 to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights for all people and to eliminate racial discrimination. With more than 2,000 chapters nationwide, the NAACP leads on issues ranging from voting rights and economic justice to criminal justice reform and education equity.

National Education Association

The National Education Association is the largest labor union in the United States, representing more than 3 million educators, school staff, and education professionals across the country. NEA advocates for public education, economic justice, and the success of every student, working to ensure that schools are well-funded, educators are respected, and communities are supported.

Center for Popular Democracy

The Center for Popular Democracy is a national network of community-based organizations that builds power to advance racial and economic justice. CPD partners with grassroots groups across the country to win progressive policy change through organizing, advocacy, and electoral campaigns, with a focus on expanding democracy, raising wages, and creating an economy that works for all.

PolicyLink

PolicyLink is a national research and action institute advancing racial and economic equity by Lifting Up What Works®. Through research, advocacy, and partnerships with communities, PolicyLink works to ensure that all people — especially those in low-income communities and communities of color — can participate in and benefit from a just and fair economy. PolicyLink develops data-driven solutions and policy strategies that address income inequality, expand opportunity, and build an inclusive economy nationwide.

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