Nearly 2 million people who are employed through federal contractors earn less than $24,000 a year. That’s more low-wage workers than any private company, including Walmart and McDonald's, combined. At the 43rd annual Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's recent Legislative Conference, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) moderated a panel discussion on those low-wage workers and ways to improve their wages and working conditions.

Joining Ellison on the panel were Christian Dorsey of the Economic Policy Institute (EPI); Ben Peck of Demos; Dr. Julianne Malveaux, the former president of Bennett College; and Joseph Geevarghese of Change to Win.

The session focused on the causes of the low-wage economy, as well as implications for all workers and the overall economy. The panel also examined the strikes across the country by low-wage workers who have begun to stand up for livable wages, benefits and better working conditions.

Several workers from the Smithsonian museums and Ronald Reagan Building shared their personal stories of struggling to pay their rent or mortgages each month and keeping food on the table because of the low wages they are paid from these contracts.

The speakers said President Barack Obama has the power to issue an executive order that ensures taxpayers’ dollars reward good job creators. The panelists said that Walmart and McDonald's are corporations they consider to be bad job creators, with low-wage jobs in every corner of the economy. 

The workers are calling on Obama to sign an executive order setting better contracting standards and to keep members of Congress accountable in regards to federal contracts given to companies that hire low-wage workers.