Make the Road New Jersey Youth Leaders Hit the Asbury Park Boardwalk to Ensure Teen Workers are not Excluded from NJ Minimum Wage Increase

Youth Workers Continue Canvass of Cities Across New Jersey to Garner Support for $15 Minimum Wage with No Carveouts

(Asbury Park, NJ) August 15, 2018: As New Jersey moves forward to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour, teen workers are at risk of being left behind. Young workers work side-by-side with their older counterparts across industries, and they often perform the same work. Many young workers come from struggling low- and middle-income households, and their earnings provide essential household income. Young workers are also often high school and college students who study hard and work long hours to try and cover at least some of their education expenses and save for college. A higher minimum wage would allow them to cover more of tuition costs, finish school more quickly, and take out fewer loans. On Wednesday, working class youth workers from Make the Road NJ will canvass the Asbury Park Boardwalk, where dozens of teen workers are earning less than $15 minimum wage to garner support for a clean $15 minimum wage bill. Wednesday’s petition drive is the sixth week of the teen workers’ petition drive, which has reached cities across New Jersey.

WHO: Youth workers from Make the Road New Jersey
WHAT: Petition Drive and Canvass to Support a Clean $15 Minimum Wage with No Carveouts
WHERE: Asbury Park Boardwalk
WHY: As legislators threaten to exclude youth workers from a minimum wage increase to $15/hour in New Jersey, youth workers are organizing to fight for a clean $15 minimum wage without carveouts for youth workers, farm workers or tipped workers.
WHEN: 11am

Additional dates

Wednesday, August 15, 2018, Asbury Park
Wednesday, August 22, 2018, Paterson
Wednesday, August 29, 2018, Camden
Wednesday, September 5, 2018, Red Bank

Interviews with youth workers available upon request.
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http://www.maketheroadnj.org/