Hypocrisy? Bernie Sanders Does Not Pay Campaign Workers a $15 Minimum Wage
Bernie Sanders has been one of the leading proponents of a $15 minimum wage in the U.S. Senate. However, he is not exactly practicing what he preaches in his daily operations.
According to a Washington Post story, Sanders is not paying his campaign workers enough. Some of his employees even claim they are only getting paid $13 per hour for a 60-hour workweek. Now, they’re demanding more pay, hoping Sanders will apply his legislative vision to his campaign.
Some members of Sanders’ campaign staff complain that they’re now turning to payday loans to make ends meet, and four people have already quit during the last month because of financial troubles.
Interestingly, these demands for higher wages came a few months after Sanders campaign workers decided to unionize.
The agreement established wage classifications for national and regional staff. And the compensation ranged from $15 per hour for interns and canvassers to $100,000 salaries for bargaining unit deputies.
Field organizers, however, were paid according to an annual salary at $36,000. Regional field directors were slated to be paid $48,000, and statewide department directors were to earn $90,000 annually.
However, after the agreement was established, the Sanders campaign met tremendous pushback.
The Vermont senator’s campaign manager Faiz Shakir quickly called a meeting with all of the staff present to propose an agreement with some modest pay raises. In the end, Shakir’s proposal was soundly rejected via union vote.
Currently, the union is offering up another proposal that will most likely eat up a significant portion of the campaign budget.
ZeroHedge reported on some of the demands:
- That field organizers receive a salary of $46,800, while regional field directors be paid $62,400.
- That the campaign cover 100% of the health-care costs for employees making $60,000 or less a year (currently, the campaign pays all premiums for salaried employees making $36,000 or less, while those making more are covered at a rate of 85%).
- That campaign staff be reimbursed for automobile transportation at $0.58 per mile while they’re traveling around canvassing for Sanders.
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