Top 5 Groundbreaking Movements That Rocked the Boat in 2014
http://www.alternet.org/activism/top-5-groundbreaking-movements-rocked-boat-2014
5. The fight for net neutrality rages on. In January 2014, a court decision ruled in favor of Verizon, which had challenged the Federal Communication Commissions ability to enforce net neutrality. The decision has sparked a yearlong fight to demand an Internet that is open and equal for all. Protesters set up camp outside FCC headquarters and followed up months later with actions in multiple cities after word got out that the FCC was considering a shoddy solution.
4. The year of minimum wage victories. The federal minimum wage remains a measly $7.25a 25 percent decrease in worth since it peaked in 1968. Workers have had enough. People across the nation came together to make 2014 an historic year for minimum wage victories. Both Seattle and San Francisco passed the countrys highest minimum wage bills that will phase in $15. The Chicago City Council voted to raise the citys minimum wage to $13, and voters in Oakland passed a November ballot initiative raising the wage to $12.25. Four red states also passed minimum wage increases during the midterm elections. Early in the year, President Obama raised the minimum wage to $10.10 for all 2 million federally contracted workers.
3. The struggle for ending deportations sees success. Dubbed by some as the deporter-in-chief, Obama has deported 2 million undocumented immigrants during his time in office, more than any other president in history. For years, organizers have called for an end to deportations, and their actions certainly didnt slow down this year. Instead, organizers with Not1More, one of the most influential campaigns in the immigrant rights movement, held sit-ins, stopped deportation buses and went on hunger strikes.