Make America work for the many, not the few

During the last three decades, the American economy has doubled in size, but the wages of most Americans have gone nowhere when adjusted for inflation.

If the economy grew but wages are stagnant, where did the money go? To the top. More and more of our country's wealth is concentrated in fewer and fewer hands.

To make matters worse, the political system rewards those with wealth, creating a vicious cycle where CEOs and the super-rich buy influence with donations (now considered protected political speech by the Supreme Court).

And that influence buys an economy that's rigged against average working people.

It doesn't have to be this way. And I'm excited to visit Iowa to discuss how we can make America work for the many, not the few.

Who can possibly right all of these wrongs? Working men and women need a true fighter. Someone who will stand up for raising wages, civil rights, and stronger families.

They need someone who understands what they're going through, to advocate for their future.

You might think I'm describing a political candidate running for office, even for president. But I'm not.

What working men and women need most is one another — fighting for each other, side by side.

That fight has already begun. A renewed spirit among working families is rising all across America.

Fast food workers are protesting and walking out because of unfair conditions and are being joined by their friends and neighbors.

Workers at big-box retailers, like Walmart, are demanding better pay and working conditions.

Some cities are leading the way to a higher minimum wage.

Some states are cracking down on employers who misclassify their employees as "independent contractors."

Community organizations and labor unions are organizing and mobilizing average workers to stand up for their rights.

This Saturday I'll be speaking at the Working Families Summit in Ames to highlight what this fight is all about — and what you can do.

I'll focus on 10 essential ways to unstack the deck in favor of those at the top and make the economy work for everyone.

We'll focus on the central importance of public education, and what must be done to make sure all young people have a fair shot.

We'll show how to not just protect, but also expand, retirement programs so every senior citizen can live their entire life with dignity.

Community leaders will explain how we can raise wages to cure the inequities of the past several decades, while making workplaces family friendly.

And how to make sure every American knows their rights under the law to join together with other workers to bargain for higher wages.

Working families are beginning to stand up and fight back. But the real fight has just begun.

We need to organize across Iowa, and across the country.

No candidate for any office has the power that working families can have — if we stand together.

We're the ones we've been waiting for — to advocate for a better future for our children, and our families.

We can stand up in city councils and school board meetings, in letters to the editor, at rallies with our friends and neighbors who are treated unfairly by their employers — and in the voting booth.

ROBERT B. REICH, the Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley and former secretary of labor in the Clinton administration, will deliver the keynote address at the Working Families Summit on Saturday, May 16 in Ames. To register for the summit, visit http://progressiowa.org/workingfamiliessummit.