This is a good article on the subject. 

Some good snippets:

"Closing the income gap wouldn’t just benefit the middle class; a stronger middle class is the source of economic prosperity for everyone.."

"And it turns out that fair overtime standards are to the middle class what the minimum wage is to low-income workers: not everything, but an indispensable labor protection that is absolutely essential to creating a broad and thriving middle class."

"But here’s a little secret from the corner office: The arguments that the corporate lobbyists are making—about how badly business will be hurt—just don’t add up. "

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/making-sense/middle-class-cant-get-ahead/