Under its Workforce Investment Act, the Chicago Workforce Investment Board adopted the Self-Sufficiency Standard as its self-sufficiency benchmark.
Fort Carson in Colorado was one of the first military bases to consider reviewing its vendor contracts using the Self-Sufficiency Standard. Their sustainability plan sought vendors who pay “livable wages” to their employees, as defined by the Standard.
The Self-Sufficiency Standard was an integral tool for increasing Hawaii’s minimum wage to $6.75 on January 1, 2006 and $7.25 on January 1, 2007.
Georgetown University students ended a nine-day hunger strike when the University administration agreed to improve wages for the low-paid custodial, food service, and security workers.
In 2005, New Jersey used the Standard to successfully lobby the state legislature to increase the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.15 per hour.
The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) won a higher wage floor in contract negotiations after the Insight Center for Community Economic Development used the Self-Sufficiency Standard in a wage analysis of University of California service workers, entitled High Ideals, Low Pay: A Wage Analysis of University of California Service Workers.
Gary Community Investments used the Self-Sufficiency Standard for Colorado to target funding that will lead to improved economic security for low-income families.
