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Virginia Conference Pushes $15 Minimum Wage

Don Rush

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Thousands of workers are heading to Virginia's capital city to push for higher wages.

The first-ever "Fight for $15 Convention" is being held in Richmond on Friday and Saturday.

Workers are gathering to press for a $15 minimum wage nationwide. Organizers say the event is expected to draw thousands of low-wage workers from the fast food, retail and farming industries, among others.

The event kicks off Friday at the Greater Richmond Convention Center with remarks from Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union.

On Saturday, 10,000 workers are expected to march down Richmond's Monument Avenue. Dr. William J. Barber III, president of the North Carolina NAACP, will give the keynote address.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.