Issue Paper 11: Why Hoosier Workers Need a Strong Voice in Indianapolis Now More Than Ever

On the first day of this month we celebrated “May Day.” Also, known as International Workers' Day, or International Labor Day, May 1^st, is a date globally where we celebrate the international labor movement. In this era of transition and great need, it is also a time to reflect on what living in a “Right to Work State” means for Hoosiers.

(ID: Labor Day Logo)

The COVID-19 crisis has defined a new classification of essential workers, unlike many traditionally deemed essential, this new group makes lower wages, and have far less benefits (such as paid sick leave, emergency training, nor access to protective equipment).

(ID:Grocery workers in action.)

We need to bridge our local hiring gap to ensure all of Indiana House District 3 is afforded access to 21st Century Jobs and stand by our laborers when they fight for their quality of life. This is needed from both a philosophical stance of what is best for the people of Indiana and also as a better economic policy for our state.

(ID: Jessica Renslow advocating for equal pay with the League of Women Voters.)

• On average, workers in states with right to work laws make $6,109 a year (12.1%) less annually than workers in other states ($44,401, compared with $50,511). 

• Median household income in states with these laws is $8,174 (13.9%) less than in other states ($50,712 vs. $58,886).

• 29.6 percent of jobs in right to work states were in low-wage occupations, compared with 22.8% of jobs in other states. (Source Economic Policy Institute  “Right-to-Work” States Still Have Lower Wages)

(ID: Jessica Renslow Speaking about the positive impact of creating life long communities for all Hoosiers at Transit Day in Indianapolis. )

This lack of benefits and salary leads to a lower quality of life as well as less disposable income to help infuse Indiana’s economy. This gap impacts Hoosier businesses, discourages people from buying property and a myriad of other issues such as crushing debt.

(ID: The N.U.L. Diversity Career & Networking Expo at the National Urban League Conference was a wonderful opportunity to discuss equal opportunity employment and transportation equity for all.)

If elected, Jessica Renslow will fight to:

• Increase jobs and economic development by monitoring/ maintaining compliance of our local and targeted hiring programs.

• Bring back the outreach and pride of the labor movement into our schools by facilitating mentorship opportunities to help bridge the disconnect between our educational institutions and our regional employers.

• Promote business investment in INHD3 that is complementary to creating life-long communities.

• Revoke Right to Work Legislation

• Champion better training, access to benefits and wages for all essential workers.

• Continue to propose equal pay for all working families. (You can read more about Jessica Renslow's stance on equal pay in her 5th Issue Paper: Equal Pay Affects all of Indiana House District 3)

• Advocate for entrepreneurial education and financial literacy across INHD3 via community partnerships with local financial institutions/ business incubators.

Grassroots Leader Announces her Candidacy for Indiana House District 3

FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION

Gary, Indiana (December 16, 2019): Surrounded by Indiana House District 3 residents, advocates and elected officials, Gary native, Jessica Renslow, announced her official candidacy for State Representative Monday at the Gary Public Library and Cultural Center. She is an Instructional Designer and Business Strategist with a history of creating and implementing quality of life goals with the people of Indiana House District 3.

            Renslow is known for her grassroots leadership across Gary, Lake Station, New Chicago and Hobart. She was born and raised in the heart of INHD3, attended public schools and put herself through Ball State’s Japanese language/ culture and Telecommunications Production programs. She taught abroad and worked on educational policy reform, before returning to the United States. For nearly a decade she worked in corporate America as a producer in Hollywood. There she honed her business skills, negotiated fair labor contracts with the local union leaders and promoted mentorship initiatives for underserved communities. She also received her Master’s in Education with a concentration in technology and leadership from California State University-Los Angeles in 2012.

She returned to The Region in 2015 to help pilot Gary’s Neighborhood Spotlight initiative which originated in the Miller and Northwest Hobart communities. It has branched out to Gary’s Aetna, Glen Ryan, Emerson and Downtown Communities. Her salary grant officially ended in 2018, but she has continued to promote collective impact across INHD3 as a volunteer by collaborating within the Neighborhood Spotlight footprints and expanding outreach to Lake Station and New Chicago.

Some recent projects include helping 150local businesses connect with the IDOA’s Division of Supplier Diversity to facilitate a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) Certification Program at The Stage Gary Small Business Incubator and Coworking Site, helping bring a universally designed kayak launch/ fishing pier to Lake Station, promoting wellness initiatives in Hobart Township and advocating for educational policy reform in Indianapolis.

The #Renslow4Rep Campaign is Focused on the Following:

• Retaining young talent in Gary, Lake Station, New Chicago and Hobart

• Supporting our local businesses

• Advocating for school funding reform

• Creating accessible communities for all

• Attracting high-paying 21st century jobs

• Protecting our environment by promoting green investments

• Lowering healthcare and prescription costs

Quote from the candidate:

“I believe that Gary, Lake Station, New Chicago and Hobart need an advocate that understands

that our diversity is an asset and that working together is the key to our success.”

  

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Anyone seeking additional information may contact the Friends of Jessica Renslow, via (219)292 2200 / renslow4rep@gmail.com or check out renslow4rep.com.

Issue Paper 5: Equal Pay Affects all of Indiana House District 3

According to our census, our most common heads of households in Indiana House District 3 are our single mothers. If you consider that 51% of our families are only averaging 74 cents to the dollar, you can see how this wage gap affects funding for everything from our roads, to our schools, to our parks. (That 51% of our population is not even including our working single childless women, or our married mothers!)

Now think about how much money the majority of IN HD3 families can spend to support our local businesses. What does that 26 cent gap mean for all of us?

(League of Women Voters Members discussing issues that effect NWI and all Hoosiers with their senators. )

The wage gap is not a partisan issue. It is not just a problem for women, nor House District 3, it effects all Hoosiers.

On Wednesday, January 17, 2018 HB 1390 aka the Equal Pay Bill was reintroduced in Indianapolis. Why is House Bill 1390 different than the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990? 

In a Right to Work State like Indiana, employers can choose to fire workers at will. This can include if an employee discloses his salary to a female coworker.  House Bill 1390 provides protection for coworkers to discuss their salaries without fear of losing their jobs, which would lead to more transparency of discrepancies in the Indiana workforce, thus allowing all Hoosier heads of households to better advocate for wage increases with their employers. 

(League of Women Voters of the Calumet Area supporting Rep. Linda Lawson’s proposal, House Bill 1390.)

According to the Indiana Institute for Working Families, “In 2016 in Indiana, the median earnings of full time male workers were $12,717 higher than the median earnings of full time female workers. This is a 26 percent wage gap. Even as the nation’s wage gap narrowed between 2015 and 2016, Indiana’s wage gap widened 2 percentage points. The Hoosier gender wage gap is now the 6th highest in the nation, not far behind Louisiana and Utah, which, at 30 percent, are tied for the highest in the nation. Within Indiana, there is considerable variation from county to county, with some counties in Indiana showing nearly a 40 percent gap, while others have gaps in the teens.”

If elected, Jessica Renslow will fight to:

• Continue to advocate for equal pay for all working families.

• Promote business investment in INHD3 that is complementary to creating life-long communities. 

• Increase jobs and economic development by monitoring/ maintaining compliance of our local and targeted hiring programs. 

• Bring back the outreach and pride of the labor movement into our schools by facilitating mentorship opportunities to help bridge the disconnect between our educational institutions and our regional employers. 

• Advocate for entrepreneurial education and financial literacy across INHD3 via community partnerships with local financial institutions/ business incubators.

Renslow4Rep.com

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