As the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom approaches, we are reminded how far we have come on issues of racial and social injustice but also how much farther we have to go. When A. Phillip Randolph organized and planned the 1963 march, he aimed to address issues of racial inequality that plagued our country, and he looked to Washington as the key to changing this country forever.
At the height of racial tensions and inequality in the 1960s, the federal government, under pressure after that massive rally, stepped in to set an example for private businesses. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed an executive order in 1965 ending discrimination in government contracting and advancing minority hiring standards, going beyond the requirements of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As Johnson demonstrated, the government can play an important role not only in passing laws and promulgating regulations on employment policy but also in setting an example in its own workforce.
Now, 50 years after that historic March on Washington, we continue to grapple with discrimination and injustice. And at the same time, we are faced with another inequality that is tearing this country apart: economic inequality. Income inequality has grown exponentially in recent years as middle-class jobs that can support a family have been lost in the Great Recession and replaced by part-time, low-wage work in the recovery. Many of the workers stuck in low-wage jobs are people of color, perpetuating the same lack of opportunity we saw in the ‘60s.
One way to ensure these workers have the chance to succeed in life is to hold their employers accountable for paying a living wage. This issue is no more acute than with the hidden workforce employed by federal contractors — 2 million low-wage workers. CEOs and top executives at these companies receiving government contracts are making unprecedented sums while wages have flat-lined for working families. The overwhelming majority of these contracted low-wage workers are African-American and Latino, making this not just about economic justice but also about racial justice.
Too many American workers are struggling to make ends meet. That’s why we’ve seen low-wage workers across the country and across industries, from Wal-Mart to fast-food, call for higher pay and the right to form a union without retaliation. These workers have nothing to lose and are speaking out about employers forcing them to rely on public assistance just to afford the basics.
If we are going to build a strong economy to pass down to our kids, we need to lift low-wage workers out of poverty and rebuild the middle class. And if we are going to ensure that all children in this country, regardless of the color of their skin, have the same chance to achieve the American Dream, their parents must be paid wages that can provide them with the basics — food, a secure home, and a good education — they need to succeed as adults.
President Barack Obama understands that. But faced with a Senate that’s all too eager to filibuster and an intransigent House, the president has been left with only his promise to do everything in his power to help the middle class.
Well, Mr. President, there’s something you can do right now to lift 2 million workers out of poverty and honor those who marched on Washington for racial equality and those who are about to do it again. Obama can follow Johnson’s example and use executive action to enshrine the principle of good jobs in federal contracting — an action that would set an example for private companies that are keeping their workers in poverty.
This would not just be a symbolic act but would have a significant impact. In all, discretionary awards of federal funds to private employers total about $1 trillion each year, almost 10 percent of the private sector economy. Important, over 80 percent of this spending is not subject to prevailing wage standards. An executive order would not only help these workers, but help boost our economy as a whole.
And even more important, action by the president could have a significant impact on the lives of 2 million workers who want the same opportunity for themselves and their families as those who marched on Washington in 1963. It won’t end the racial or economic injustice faced by so many in this country, but it will put us one step closer to achieving that goal.
Moshe Marvit is a labor and job discrimination lawyer and a fellow at The Century Foundation. Jay Bookman’s column will return soon.
