New Record! 3500+ sign on at the Big Day Out.
See photos from the action here.

61% of New Zealand supports us!
Campaign demand of $15ph makes front page news on NZ Herald

Sixty-one per cent of people want the minimum wage lifted to $15 an hour, a Herald Summer Survey has found, weeks before the Government is to set the wage for this year.

The minimum wage is now $12.50 an hour, and the Cabinet is expected to decide within a fortnight whether to increase it. Unions and business groups are predicting a rise to $13 this year, but the unions are campaigning for $15.

The New Zealand Herald surveyed 2300 people on the issue: 3.5 per cent of respondents said the minimum should be lower than the current $12.50 an hour, 30.5 per cent thought it should remain unchanged, 61 per cent thought it should go up and 5 per cent did not have an opinion.

Read more about the survey here.

PM rules out $15 an hour minimum wage this year
Prime Minister John Key has ruled out a minimum wage increase to $15 this year despite 61 per cent of New Zealanders supporting the hike in a recent survey. About 100,000 workers receive the minimum wage, which is reviewed every year and Cabinet is expected to make a decision shortly whether to increase it.  Mr Key said the issue was not on tomorrow's Cabinet agenda but would be discussed "fairly soon"…..
….Unite union is currently campaigning to get an immediate rise of the minimum wage to $15 with plans to collect over 300,000 signatures before May 7 on a referendum. Campaign organiser Joe Carolan said if a fraction of the 61 per cent of people who support the hike signed the petition, Unite was confident it would achieve its goal.
"Kiwi workers are struggling to make ends meet on less than $15 per hour, and the concept of a living wage for those who are working hard 40 hours a week is an idea whose time has come."
Full article here.

Poll misses real reasons why probably more than 61% support $15 hr
“The NZ Herald poll on Jan 18th that found that 61% of New Zealanders support raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, underestimates the support we are getting from thousands of people every week at our campaign stalls and workplaces” said Living Wage campaign organiser Joe Carolan.

“We’re aiming for a referendum on this issue, and if just a fraction of the 61% who support our demand sign our petition by May, we’re confident that we will win it by a landslide- 70 or 80% would probably be closer the mark.

For too long, economics in this country have been dominated by the needs of big business and the wealthy. There’s a groundswell of frustration that we’re tapping into- half a million Kiwi workers are struggling to make ends meet on less than $15ph, and the concept of a Living Wage for those who are working hard 40 hours a week is an idea whose time has come”.

The poll also misses the reason why so many workers are supporting this very specific demand for a $15ph rate.

‘We’re fresh in from collecting another 10,000 plus supporters at the Big Day Out, Piha beach and the Parihaka peace festival, and we’re about to cross the 100,000 mark. We’re a modest sized union with some very dedicated activists and volunteers who’ve been putting in a lot of long hours gathering signatures- and we’resure that these campaign stalls have raised consciousness about raising the minimum wage to $15phthat we see reflected in these polls.

See more photos from the Big Day Out here.

CAMPAIGNERS OUTSIDE AUCKLAND!
PLEASE FREEPOST YOUR COMPLETED PETITIONS NOW TO
FREEPOST UNITE UNION,
PO BOX 7175, WELLESLEY ST
AUCKLAND 1141

Upcoming Events - Volunteers needed! 
Text the contact person if you can help at any of these upcoming events.
 
Sat 23rd Jan
Music in the park- 1pm till 5pm
Coyle park, Point Chev - Contact Joe on 029 44 55 702
OR
Raggamuffin at Rotorua, 10am till 10pm
 inside: contact Luana on 021 030 3920, outside gates Bernie 07 345 9853
 
Sun Jan 24th- 1pm till 3pm
Cornwall Park bandstand, Auckland , Contact Joe
 
Thurs Jan 28th  8.30pm-10pm
Dead Prez, ZEN club, 17 Albert Street, Auckland- Contact Joe
 
Fri Jan 29th- Feb 1st-    Mystery Creek, Hamilton
If anyone is going to Parachute can they take petitions and stickers with them? We can’t get an official stall, but that doesn’t stop us from spreading the good word! Contact Joe or Jared in Hamilton at 029 494 9863
 
Sat Jan 30th 6pm till 9pm
Them Crooked Vultures, VECTOR Arena - Contact Joe
 
Sat Jan 30th and Sun Jan 31st
NGA PUHI Festival, Northland College, Mangakahia Rd, Kaikohe
Contact Liane Henry at 021 157 4210 or Joe
 
Mon Feb 1st 12 noon till 11pm
LANEWAY Festival, Britomart Square, Auckland- Contact Joe
 
Thurs Feb 4th 5pm till 8pm
ACDC- Western Springs Stadium- Contact Joe

For stalls in your area contact:
WHANGAREI
Contact Vaughan- 021 041 5082, email: svpl@xtra.co.nz
AUCKLAND
Contact Joe – 029 4455702, email: joseph@unite.org.nz
HAMILTON
Contact Jared- 029 494 9863 email: jared@unite.org.nz
COROMANDEL and THAMES
Contact Levi- 027 7746 278, email: whukoro@yahoo.co.nz
ROTORUA
Contact Bernie- email: bernieh@clear.net.nz , 07 345 9853
WELLINGTON
Contact Omar on 029 455 5789, email: omar@unite.org.nz. The Wellington crew operate their own e loop 15dollarwgtn and regular stalls in different areas and events
CHRISTCHURCH
Contact Matt - 029 201 3837 email: matthew@unite.org.nz
DUNEDIN
Contact Chris- 027 781 0371, email: mr_matahaere@hotmail.com

 
This week’s Working Class Heroes
 
Massive respect to the Auckland crew for 5,500 signatures plus at the Big Day Out and the Solar Series gigs on the weekend.  The $15ph sticker is EVERYWHERE!  Thanks also to Muse who gave the crew 10 tickets in support of the campaign - the Resistance ain’t just an album name ;)  Also thanks to Helen Kelly from the CTU for funding our BDO stall, and to Hannah from the SFWU (pictured reading Our Voice) who got 520 names at the CTU stall down at the Parihaka Peace Festival!

Unite hotel delegate Ana Paulini has hit the 1,000 signature mark. Ana has found there is a lot of support out there. When she catches a bus she wanders along asking passengers if they want to sign the petition. Read more about Ana's efforts here.
 
And finally, Levi from Young Labour (pictured) who has been out gathering hundreds of signatures in the Coromandel.  If you’re in the area on holidays and can help him out, give him a phone at 027 774 6278.
 
'I am committed to supporting the living wage campaign because I have seen and know far too many people who are earning the minimum wage and a re struggling to make ends meet and to simply survive. I am hopeful that after this campaign is successful, that we will be able to increase and improve the living standards of working class New Zealanders.'
 
Unite and activists are on target to get 200,000 names by ourselves.  Its support from larger groups like Labour and the CTU Unions that can help the 61% of New Zealanders get a chance to give this government a landslide defeat at the polls- we need more Hannahs, Helens and Levis!

See you next week

Solidarity
Joe

Campaigns Officer,
Campaign for a Living Wage
Phone/text: 029 44 55 702 or email:joseph@unite.org.nz

Get in touch with the $15 campaign

Send a text to 029 445 5702 or email to sign up as a working class hero.

Join the campaign on facebook and become Living Wage's friend.

Forward this email to your friends and get them to sign up for the newsletter - just use [FORWARD].

Follow Unite and the campaign on twitter.

Put the $15 an hour web banner on your website or blog - click here.

Order a bulk order of badges (30 cents each) and T-shirts ($15 each) from the Unite office - click here.

Download the petition here .

Click here for more campaign information.

Joe wants you!
Community activist, teacher and Unite union delegate Joe Carolan is leading the $15 an hour campaign full time. He brings a wealth of experience in social justice movements in Ireland and Aotearoa. If you want to be a Working Class Hero then email him here , text 029 44 55 702 or become Living Wage's friend on Facebook.

National Office
phone: 0800 2 UNITE
Fax: 09 846 9509
email: support@unite.org.nz
postal address:
PO Box 7175
Wellesley St
Auckland

The $15 an hour Campaign for a Living Wage has been initiated by Unite union.

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