The Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club supports raising the minimum wage in the City of Los Angeles because we realize that the struggles for environmental justice, protection & enjoyment of our earth and its resources, and a living wage are inextricably linked.
Sierra Club’s mission is:
To explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth;
To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources;
To educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.
We need everyone involved in this lofty, but important, mission if we are to succeed in protecting our earth and its ecosystems and resources. When a person’s income is so low they must work two or three jobs in order to make ends meet, they do not have time to even think about the environment, let alone join with us in these important endeavors. We cannot and should not turn our backs on the minimum wage issue.
Together with our founder, John Muir, we encourage everyone to get out in nature and enjoy and explore wild places that nurture and nourish our bodies, minds and souls. But when a person’s income does not allow the leisure time for such activities, we all will lose in the end - including society as a whole, which will be saddled with higher medical and mental health costs, among other social costs.
Our decision also is underscored by our recent hard won victories, including the ban on single use plastic bags, the Zero Waste LA franchise policy, and LA’s new energy-efficiency mandate of 15% by 2020, which would not have been possible without large crowds of citizens from low-income communities of color packing Council chambers and demanding action. Our power to effect environmental change relies on solidarity with these communities, many of whom find themselves unable to provide for their families' basic needs despite more than full-time employment.
To tackle climate change and create a fair and just transition to a clean energy economy, we must widen our tent and make the Sierra Club a welcome place for everyone. We must be equal partners with those who live in low income districts and are disproportionately affected by toxic pollution, for they are the same people who will turn out for a Los Angeles City Council meeting and call for improvements in air quality and an end to fracking. As Michael Brune recently wrote, “To succeed in standing up to those who don't care what happens to our planet, we need the help of everyone who does.”