Left to Obama: Push contractors to hike wages

Liberal lawmakers and labor advocates want to see President Obama use his executive power to boost worker wages at federal contractors.

The groups called on the president Monday to take executive action that would give preference to government contractors that pay a higher wage and allow workers to unionize when it comes to doling out federal dollars and contracts.

With Democrats set to lose control of the Senate, they argue that it falls to the president to do everything he can to put pressure on employers to boost wages, and use the federal government’s outsized role in the workforce to make it happen.

“Executive actions giving preference to companies that offer decent wages and collective bargaining will show that we value employers who respect their employees,” said Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. “It will send the message that anyone willing to work full-time deserves the dignity of a livable wage, and that’s a message every American needs to hear.”

Grijalva’s co-chairman, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also lent their names to the effort, as well as several left-leaning and pro-labor groups.

Those advocates are pushing for Obama to give preference to contractors that pay at least $15 an hour and offer benefits to their employees. Furthermore, they say, government contractors should be required to allow their workers to organize under collective bargaining agreements.

In February, Obama signed an executive order requiring federal contractors to pay a $10.10 minimum wage. The order came as part of a broader push to boost the minimum wage nationwide, but that effort stalled in Congress amid Republican opposition.

Left-leaning advocates say even that amount falls short of a living wage, and just as the president is preparing to take executive action on contentious issues like immigration, they want to see him push on the wage issue as well.

Liberals also argue that there is public support for him to take a more aggressive stance.

While Democratic candidates were hammered in the polls earlier this month, ballot initiatives in several cities and states to boost those areas’ minimum wages sailed to success, including in several conservative states like Arkansas.

The renewed push to boost wages comes as voters headed to the polls this month reporting widespread dissatisfaction with the economy despite recent gains. While the unemployment rate has steadily fallen and the economy is growing at a solid clip, wages have been stagnant for several years.