Local man takes on ‘big money’ with launch of Fight for a Living Wage

Mesa, Ariz. – Bill Meade has had it with the ever-increasing wealth gap in the United States. Watching his Millennial children struggle – along with people everywhere – he is dedicating what he calls “the last quarter” of his life to narrowing that gap.

“I think we owe it to our children and the people who come after them to right this wrong,” said Meade. “The cards are stacked against them. I see a lot of people and organizations talking about the need for a decent minimum wage, but we need to be fighting to ensure that every American has a living wage*. Meade believes the time is right for people to mobilize and fight for economic justice for all.

Meade, retired CEO of a publicly traded company, was stunned to discover that his only real job was to make money for the stockholders. “There was little consideration given to rewarding the people who made the profits possible,” he said.

In his first job as a power plant mechanic, Meade was a card-carrying IBEW union member. There he gained an appreciation for the often-unacknowledged value of workers. He never forgot the injustice he witnessed.

Meade and his team will launch Fight for a Living Wage on January 13 at 10 a.m. at Beanchain Coffee, 1110 W Southern Ave, in Mesa, Arizona. The event is open to the public.

A worker-owned and directed company, Meade considers Beanchain an excellent example of how one person can make an impact. Beanchain’s owner, David Baxter, endured a life of hardship, vowing that when given the chance, he would find a way to help others get ahead. Together, he and his wife, Shannon created Beanchain.

“Everyone should be able to live a good life, save money, and feel a sense of control over their destiny,” said Baxter. On Beanchain’s website, Baxter shares statistics about how work-life imbalance, poverty and wage theft rob people of opportunities to achieve a living wage.

“It’s important that people understand that this is not about minimum wage or fair wage,” said Meade. It’s about living wage – the amount of money it takes to live with comfort, dignity and opportunity*.”

“We’re launching here in Arizona, not only because it is my home state, but also because there’s a tremendous income gap no matter how you measure it,” he said. A study by Amy K. Glasmeler indicates that for a family of four in Arizona with two working adults and two children, the living wage is $24 an hour – or $81,307.

“Arizona’s minimum wage (raised by 50 cents on January 1, 2024) of $14.35 doesn’t even come close to providing families with a basic standard of living,” said Meade. Meade’s plan is to trial new strategies in Arizona, with the intention of sharing a living wage toolbox with people and organizations in other states.

*A living wage is defined as “the amount of money needed for a given worker and their family to cover the cost of their minimum needs where they live, including food, childcare, health insurance, housing, transportation, and other necessities like clothing and personal care items.”

Fight for a Living Wage is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that will align with people and organizations across the United States to kick-start a movement aimed at reducing the ever-increasing income gap between the wealthy and the poor. Launched in Arizona in January 2024, Fight for a Living Wage focuses squarely on a “living wage” – as opposed to a “minimum wage” or “fair wage,” neither of which afford Americans dignity or financial security. If we don’t address this now, we risk leaving our children and grandchildren in a world without hope or access to the American Dream. Contact: [email protected] 303-324-3069. NOTE THAT BILL IS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS NOW – AND IN THE FUTURE – ON ISSUES OF FINANCIAL INSECURITY AND CLOSING THE POVERTY GAP.

Beanchain Coffee, located at 1110 W. Southern Ave. #8, Mesa, Arizona, is more than a coffee shop. It represents an opportunity for individuals to gain ownership and financial security. Founder David Baxter has designed the business as a social experiment; an organization that is worker-owned and worker-directed. In addition to its offerings of beverages and pastries, it includes a shared workspace, a conference room and workshops open to the community. Contact: [email protected] 480-307-6503.