Pressure to Raise Pathetic Minimum Wage Is on the Rise Across the Land

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/economy/2014-may-be-historic-year-states-raising-minimum-wages



After years of hard times and recent organizing by growing coalitions of worker organizations and progressive groups, 2014 may see some of the biggest state minimum wage increases in years.

In 2013, 13 states and handful of cities raised the legal hourly minimum wage after those locales saw campaigns uniting low-wage workers, unions, clergy and Democrats. While most of these increases did not raise wages above the $9 rate for hourly workers, they still increased paychecks for an estimated 4.5 million workers— mostly women—and should inject an extra $2.7 billion into their pockets this year, economists said.

This year a mix of elected Democrats and seasoned organizers are seriously pushing for even bigger increases in a dozen states including Massachusetts, Maryland, Hawaii, Illinois, Arkansas, Alaska, South Dakota and California. According to analysts, these and other states are likely to raise their minimum wages, either from legislative action in coming months or from votes on statewide ballot questions where Democrats are betting that the issue will lead to higher turnout and be a factor in congressional races.

This growing momentum is apart from stalled minimum wage bills in Congress to raise the current federal minimum wage, now at $7.25 per hour, to $10.10. While President Obama is expected to make inequality the centerpiece of his 2014 State of the Union speech next week, his previous calls for raising the wage have been ignored by House Republicans. That political stalemate shifts the focus back to the states.

[LuvNewcastle]

1. That's great, but it doesn't affect the rest of us in red states.

We need a national wage increase, starting at $10 immediately and increasing annually from there. I'd rather increase it to $12 immediately, but I know that won't happen. The only national increases I've heard about so far would increase it to about $10 at intervals, and that isn't nearly good enough. People need relief now. Everything is constantly going up, especially food, and people are having a very rough time. I'm single and it's tough for me; I can't imagine what it must be like for those who have to feed and clothe children.

[ProSense]

2. Irrelevant waste of energy.

"Pressure to Raise Pathetic Minimum Wage Is on the Rise Across the Land"

They should be pushing to stop the TPP.

Senator Sanders: Welfare for Walmart?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024354098