Low-wage workers picket outside federal buildings

by Annie Gowen and Robert Samuels

Low-wage workers picket outside federal buildings in Washington, DC. A day-long series of protests is held in support of contract workers at museums and offices in the heart of the federal city. Some of the workers say they make less than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Photo: Washington Post

Federal contract employees at some of the nation’s best-known landmarks walked off their jobs Tuesday during a day of protests over low wages and lack of benefits.The day-long strike was organized by a group called Good Jobs Nation on behalf of the workers who serve the food and run the cash registers at museums and offices in the heart of the federal city. Some workers said they were being paid less than the federal minimum wage of $7.25, and some said they were working in a government building despite being in the country illegally.

  • World Hunger Education
    Service
    P.O. Box 29015
    Washington, D.C. 20017

  • About WHES & Hunger Notes
    For the past 40 years, since its founding in 1976, the mission of World Hunger Education Service is to undertake programs, including Hunger Notes, that
    • Educate the general public and target groups about the extent and causes of hunger and malnutrition in the United States and the world
    • Advance comprehension which integrates ethical, religious, social, economic, political, and scientific perspectives on the world food problem
    • Facilitate communication and networking among those who are working for solutions
    • Promote individual and collective commitments to sustainable hunger solutions.