To Earn My Vote, the Royals Need to Sign a Good Jobs Community Benefits Agreement 

Low-wage worker Terrence Wise holds a sign that reads “Nothing About Us, Without Us” at a Jackson County legislative meeting in January 2024. (Photo Credit: Missouri Workers Center) I walked off my job at Burger King to go on strike for the first time over a decade ago. Since then, I’ve been a Stand Up KC leader in one of the largest worker movements of the 21st century: the Fight for $15 and a union. Since our movement launched in 2012, 26 million workers have won higher government minimum wage policies — including increasing the minimum wage to $12 an hour here in Missouri. Nationally, that translates to $150 billion in additional annual income, per 2021 data.& But looking back 10 years ago, I didn’t know we could win all that. When you’re so used to fighting for your everyday survival, it’s hard to zoom out and think about the future. When you work 30 to 40 hours feeding people at a fast food job, and spend another 30 to 40 picking people up all over the city, giving them rides, and delivering their dinner–only to come home and find an eviction notice on your door–how do you imagine the...