Capitol workers strike for higher pay

Workers at the U.S. Capitol went on a one-day strike Thursday to demand that the federal minimum wage be raised to $15 per hour.

Dozens of workers marched to the Capitol Thursday morning demanding higher pay from the government contractors who hire them to cook food, wash dishes, empty trash and clean floors in the halls of Congress.

{mosads}The organizers of the campaign said it’s the first time in history that workers at the Capitol have gone on strike.

They were joined at the demonstration by hundreds of protesters and several members of Congress.

“It is a sin, and a shame, and a stain on us, members of Congress, that you do not have enough pay to meet your basic necessities, though you work hard,” said Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), who spoke at the rally.

The strike was organized by Good Jobs Nation, which slammed the federal government as “America’s leading low-wage job creator.” It says government contracts have resulted in the creation of about 2 million lowing-paying jobs in the private sector.

Good Jobs Nation is calling on President Obama to issue an executive order raising the minimum wage for employees of federal contractors to $15 an hour. Companies that do not pay their employees at least this much would lose contracts with the federal government.

Earlier this year, Obama raised the minimum wage for federal workers to $10.10, but the order does not extend to other employees in the private sector.

“The Capitol building symbolizes the American dream, but not for me and my kids,” said Reginald Lewis, a Capitol worker who makes $12 an hour.

Democrats have been pushing legislation to raise the minimum wage for all workers, but with Republicans taking control of Congress in January, a vote seems unlikely.

Republicans say raising the wage would hurt workers by forcing employers to lay off employees and cut hours.