Better Jobs for Alaska
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Giving Working Families A Fair Shot
Alaskans know the value of hard work, but right now the odds are stacked against workers. The cost of living in Alaska keeps getting higher, but wages have not kept up. Thousands of Alaskans don’t get paid sick days, so working parents must choose between sending a sick kid to school or missing a day’s pay. Corporations can force workers to attend closed-door meetings about the bosses’ beliefs about religion, politics, or the economy, and they can fire workers who disagree.
Alaskans deserve better jobs.
The commonsense policies in this initiative will help give tens of thousands of Alaskans a fair shot.
Raise the Minimum Wage
Alaska is one of the most expensive states in the country, and many hardworking Alaskans have to work two or three jobs just to get by. The workers who care for us when we’re sick, look after our elders, and help raise our children struggle to put food on the table and pay their bills. A single parent of two working full time at the current Alaska minimum wage earns $22,568 per year, $8500 below the federal poverty line for a family of three in Alaska.
This measure would gradually increase the minimum wage to $15 over the next 4 years and then peg it to inflation so that low-wage workers are not left behind when the cost of living rises.
Allow Alaskans to Earn Paid Sick Days
Right now, thousands of Alaskans don’t get paid sick days, so they are forced to choose between going in to work when they’re sick or missing a day’s pay. Letting people take time off when they’re sick keeps us all safe because it stops workers from spreading illnesses. Parents should not have to worry about sending a sick child to school, and caretakers should not have to choose between looking after their loved ones in need or getting a paycheck.
This initiative would allow workers to accrue 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked – up to 56 hours per year at big companies and up to 40 hours per year at small ones. It’s time to stop punishing people for getting sick and ensure hardworking Alaskans can earn paid sick days.
Stop Corporations from Imposing their Beliefs and Harassing Workers
Right now corporations can force Alaskan workers to attend closed-door meetings to share the bosses’ beliefs about religion, politics, or the economy. Workers can be harassed in these meetings, and if they don’t attend, they can be fired.
This initiative would prohibit employers from requiring their employees to attend meetings on political and religious topics that have nothing to do with their work. It would allow Alaskans to remain independent of their employers’ beliefs without fear of being fired.