DETROIT — Rep. Leslie Love (D-Detroit) appeared at a series of rallies last weekend in Southeast Michigan joined by activists and lawmakers in support of the One Fair Wage ballot proposal to protect the minimum and sub-minimum wage proposal the Legislature passed in September.
Joining Love at the rally was Jane Fonda, actress and activist; Taraji P. Henson, actress and activist; Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter; Saru Jayaraman, author and co-founder of the Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC) and other special guests. Organizers rallied to urge the Michigan Legislature to honor the spirit of the One Fair Wage proposal as passed and not gut it during the upcoming lame duck session.
“This issue is very personal for me,” Love said. “Many years before I was elected, I moved to California to pursue an acting career. I had a master’s degree and waited tables. I did my share of waitressing, and I understand what it means to work in the service industry. And I know what it is like to struggle for dignity and a living wage.”
Many have expressed concern over the potential for legislative leadership to gut the proposal during the end of year lame duck session, as a number of Republican legislators have spoken on their disapproval of the proposal’s language and desire for significant changes that would essentially nullify the proposal.
“We could have a hard battle on our hands in lame duck, and so I’m prepared to fight to protect the rights of workers and the rights of thousands of people who signed this petition to raise the sub-minimum wage for service industry workers,” Love said.