In a letter sent to the White House on Friday, Sen. Bernie Sanders joined Sen. Elizabeth Warren and other Senate Democrats in urging President Obama to escalate his support for struggling Americans and get behind the ‘Fight for $15’ movement, which has galvanized low-paid workers across the nation in a collective call for better treatment by employers, the right to unionize, and a living wage.

Asking Obama to go further than his previous endorsement of raising the federal minimum wage from its current $7.25 to $10.10— and praising a previous executive order issued by the president which raised the hourly pay for federal contract workers—the letter said the ongoing plight of workers and their families across the country demands even more bold action.

“Mr. President, the stroke of your pen can have transformative impact for millions of workers,” reads the letter (pdf). “As low-wage fast food, retail and federal contract workers continue to strike in growing numbers to ‘Fight for $15 and a Union,’ we urge you to harness the power of the presidency to help these workers achieve the American Dream.”

The letter from the senators argues that the government, like some private sector companies, has a powerful role to play as a “model employer,” offering an important example in terms of wages and incentivizing others to improve the treatment of workers across the board. The letter states:

Last month, on April 15, labor unions and workers gathered under the ‘Fight for $15’ banner to stage the largest coordinated day of action yet with strikes, protests, and demonstrations in dozens of cities across the U.S. and around the world.