Progress Michigan and the Raise the Wage coalition brought a diverse group of low-wage workers from around the state to The Avenue Cafe in Lansing where they told their stories about why they want Michigan to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 from its current $7.40.
Rebecca Hatley-Watkins (Kalamazoo) talks about spending six months in a homeless shelter when she and her husband faced the choice of paying rent or feeding their eight-month-old baby.
Donyetta Hill (Detroit), a mother of three, said she was retaliated against when she participated in a protest for higher wages.
Graham Kovich (Warren) said being a tipped employee is tough enough (you know how much your bills will be each month but not how much you will make). Aisha Thurman has been a tipped server in Detroit for decades but she still worries whether she can save enough to buy her daughter a prom dress.
Progress Michigan is working to put raising the minimum wage on the ballot for the mid-term elections this November.
