Sen. Eldridge Among 36 'Fight for $15' Protesters Arrested in Cambridge

SUDBURY, MA — State Senator Jamie Eldridge was among three dozen demonstrators arrested on Tuesday in Cambridge, participants in one of three planned minimum wage protests in Massachusetts as part of a national "Fight for $15 Day of Action."

According to the Cambridge Police Department, 36 were arrested for blocking traffic on Mass Ave.
"Most have been processed and conveyed to Cambridge District Court in Medford," a police spokesman told Patch.

The demonstration's organizers coordinated with police beforehand, and no issues were reported, the spokesman said. Among those arrested outside the Central Square McDonald's was Sen. Eldridge, The Boston Globe reports.

Eldridge represents the Middlesex and Worcester District, which consists of Marlborough, Acton, Ayer, Boxborough, Hudson, Littleton, Maynard, Shirley, Stow and Sudbury-precincts 2 and 3, Harvard, Northborough-precinct 3, Southborough and Westborough.

The Central Square demonstrators were part of a national "day of action" pushing for higher wages in service and other industries.

The demonstrations are under the umbrella of Raise Up Massachusetts, a group fighting for a $15 minimum wage in the Bay State by 2018.

Eldridge released the following statement:

I was arrested this morning in Cambridge for civil disobedience when I took to the streets alongside fast food and airport workers who are asking for a $15 minimum wage. I’m very proud of the brave workers for having the courage to stand up to billionaire corporations and to fight for what they deserve.

I have spoken with many workers who feel exploited, who feel like their employers don’t treat them with dignity, and who struggle to pay their bills despite working full-time jobs. Some even work two full time jobs just to make ends meet – that’s not right and it’s not fair. We all deserve a basic quality of life where our hard work is paid with wages that allow us to grow and to seek other opportunities.

Big corporations have been exploiting lower-wage workers for decades, forcing people to work long hours and tough schedules without receiving fair holiday or sick pay, and without earning a living wage.

I want every worker in Massachusetts to know that you have strong allies in your state legislature. We know that we all need the same things to survive. We know that we all deserve time off or to recover when we’re sick without risking getting fired. We know that we all deserve to be paid fairly for the good, hard work that we provide, a wage that allows us to save for retirement or for our children’s education.

We know what you deserve. We will keep fighting with you, side by side, until we have a living minimum wage in Massachusetts, and until there is justice in the work place for all workers.

The Central Square demonstration was one of three events planned in and around Boston Tuesday.

According to Raise Up, the day culminates with a legislative announcement at the Massachusetts State House this afternoon.

Already, Massachusetts' minimum wage tracks ahead of the national average, and is set to rise in January to $11/hour as part of previously passed legislation. Currently, it is $10 per hour, while the federal minimum is $7.25.

Organizers with Raise Up argue the operative question is whether workers can make ends meet at that pay, calling what they seek not a "minimum" but a "living" wage.

In a mission statement shared on its site, Raise Up organizers argue, "Our state’s economy works best for everyone when all working people are able to meet their basic needs. This economic security depends on access to good paying jobs."

Alison Bauter, Patch staff, contributed to this report

Photo by State Rep.-elect Mike Connolly via Twitter