On Jan. 28, several members representing the non-profit human services organization Bring Up Minimum Wage (BUMP) provided testimonial at the Albany Capitol Building’s Million Dollar Staircase, remarking on their respective struggles to make ends meet.
BUMP’s campaign revolves around “bringing together nonprofits, labor unions, advocates, and workers” as a united front “to win dignity, stability, and a living wage for New York State’s essential human services workforce,” according to the organization’s website. The non-profit fights for caretakers who support the elderly, children and disabled individuals every day, yet receive poor pay for their incredible duties. BUMP wants workers who tend to people year-round and who care for non-familial individuals to have the ability to afford housing, have necessities, and to work in high-staffed locations.
In addition to speaking against minimum wages as a base rate, BUMP urged lawmakers to increase New York’s minimum wage from $16-17/hour to $29/hour. While this request asks businesses to provide a dramatic increase in pay for their workers, BUMP argues that this change would ease many New Yorkers’ lives by alleviating financial burdens.
Merqui Guevarra, who works three different jobs, was among those who spoke at this event. “For fifteen years, I’ve worked as a senior program coordinator, working for community-based programs,” Guevarra said. “In my other job, I work for social services. I support unaccompanied minors, and I also work as a translator to provide accurate communication for young people in foster care.”
Guevarra spoke candidly about her struggles, expressing how she is “tired” and how, right after the event, she would have to go straight to one of her jobs. “On my way here, I slept on the train,” she added. Guevarra concluded by stating that she misses watching T.V., drawing attention to the amount of extra work workers perform to make ends meet.
The testimonies detailed worker hardships throughout the half an hour that BUMP had the podium. One member shared how she is unable to finish college because of her work responsibilities; another shared how he had to shovel out his van in the freezing temperatures the day prior to provide transportation to the disabled individuals that he assists. Despite these adversities, at both the beginning and closing of the event, all members joined in a rallying cry of, “BUMP it up!,” a reminder of the group’s effort to ensure that everyone in New York State receives a livable wage.
BUMP encourages sympathetic figures to sign their pledge on their website “to support fair wages for New York State’s nonprofit human services workers.”
