Previous efforts to get a “living wage” bill through the D.C. Council have flopped, so on Wednesday, unions, religious leaders and advocacy groups showed up in force to testify on behalf of this fresh effort.

“Even more so now that the gap between the haves and the have-nots has widened significantly,” Joslyn Williams, president of the AFL-CIO’s Metropolitan Washington Council, said during Wednesday’s hearing. “We strongly urge you to pass the Large Retailer Accountability Act of 2013.”