BOOM: Obama signs order to raise minimum wage for federal contractors...disabled workers included!

[Cali_Democrat]

Take that, GOPers....

It’s official. Obama signs minimum wage order
02/12/14 08:59 AM—Updated 02/12/14 04:05 PM
By Michele Richinick

President Obama signed an executive order into action on Wednesday afternoon to raise the minimum wage for federal contract workers by 2015.

The declaration mandates all federally contracted employees earn at least $10.10 per hour – up from the current $7.25 – beginning next year on Jan. 1. It is unclear exactly how many individuals will be affected, but the increase could potentially involve hundreds of thousands of workers and Americans with disabilities. The payment hike won’t influence current contractors, though.

“I’m eager to work with Congress whenever I can find opportunity to expand opportunities to American families. But whenever I can act alone without Congress to use my pen to take executive action…that’s what I’m going to do,” Obama said during a press conference at the White House.

The president’s signature came one year after he first asked legislators to raise the federal minimum wage. While leaders in Washington took time to decide on their actions, six states passed individual laws increasing payment.

http://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/its-official-obama-signs-min-wage-order

More here:

NCD Hails Inclusion of Workers with Disabilities in Minimum Wage Executive Order

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024489594

President Obama tries to move America FORWARD, GOPers do all they can to resist.

[Cha]

1. Boom! is right!

NCD Hails Inclusion of Workers with Disabilities in Minimum Wage Executive Order

Thanks Obama Thanks Cali

[giftedgirl77]

2. K & R

Good for him, it's a good move forward.

[bravenak]

3. Yeah baby!!

I hope Congress gets the hint.

[USAFmedicVET]

8. Question

Did the President ask Congress to devise a bill to raise the minimum wage for Federal Contract employees?

[bravenak]

9. Dunno.

Sorry.

[freshwest]

10. Yes, in the SOTU. There is a reason people are angry at the GOP. One example:

Women Prepare Their Revenge for Mitch McConnell Voting Against the Minimum Wage 15 Times

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024489966

Democrats have repeatedly put in bills to raise the minimum wage and the GOP has rejected them. Warren has spoken on it repeatedly, along with other Democrats. And Obama has been asking Congress to raise it since last summer. Then he addressed it in the SOTU, again. He's also been on the road this year asking state legislatures to raise the minimum wage. It's been so needed that some employers have taken matters into their own hands, the good ones, that is. The GOP has obsrructed this for years and PBO did something.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

18. ...

[ProSense]

4. Thanks. The EO raised the bar. n/t

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

5. I wish he'd gone higher, but at least it's a step in the right direction.

I honestly can't imagine living on $7.25 and hour or $10.10, but some day I may have to. It would be really hard.

[Coyotl]

6. K&R

[JaneyVee]

7. Raising bottom wages lifts all wages.

[rainbow4321]

11. Good for them...

Nice to see federal contract workers get recognized.

I'm one in the health care profession (not a min wage earner) and federal contract workers are sometimes treated like second class citizens by the regular full time workers in the system.

Usually it's resentment because they feel we must make more per hour than they do. They ignore the fact that we don't get the benefits that they do....annual leave, better accumulation of sick leave, better health insurance, facility waaaayyy more lenient on them for calling in sick/showing up late for work (wanna save several million? Install a time clock that the hourly pay full time workers have to use....astounding how many show up late but still claim a full 8 or 12 hour work day). Found to do or say something horrible to a patient...get reassigned to another dept for a week or two til things blow over.

It's nice to see POTUS acknowledge a group of workers who make a difference in a sometimes very screwed up system.

[okaawhatever]

14. I hope it trickles up to you. nt

[ProSense]

12. The Economic Case for Raising the Minimum Wage

The Economic Case for Raising the Minimum Wage
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/final_min_wage_slides_-_embargo.pdf

[arely staircase]

13. obama rocks nt

[riderinthestorm]

15. Great! I'm so glad he just went for it

[jwirr]

16. Very good. I do wonder how this is going to effect the disabled like my daughter if the congress

takes this on as their model. It most likely will not effect government workers since most are not like my daughter. My daughter lives on her father's social security and has Medicare/Medicaid. If she loses the latter she will be in deep trouble. She is now retired so it will not effect her personally but others like her. Persons like my daughter are the most vulnerable group of workers we have and their concern is not how much they make as they are on income maintenance programs. Their concern is keeping medical assistance.

[proverbialwisdom]

17. More.

http://www.democracynow.org/2014/2/13/headlines#21309

HEADLINES FEBRUARY 13, 2014

...A recent study from the Center for Economic and Policy Research says that if the minimum wage were kept in line with productivity gains since 1968, it would now be more than double the $10.10 amount, at $21.72. In a shift, Obama also announced the new wage increase will no longer exclude workers with disabilities. Advocates were initially told the executive order would not apply to disabled workers employed through a special program that pays them sub-minimum wages. The decision prompted an outcry that apparently led the White House to reverse course. In his remarks on Wednesday, Obama said the principle of being paid a fair wage "applies to all of us."

[OnlinePoker]

19. There are over 2 million contract workers but not all will get raises

I have read that it only applies to new contracts so anyone working under an old contract wouldn't be eligible for the increase. As the old contracts expire and are replaced, though, the workers should then get an increase. Of course, not all contract workers are making the minimum wage as it stands now, but I'm sure a large percentage are and will look forward to an extra $100 a week in their pay packet.

[iandhr]

20. Excellent job sir.

But tomorrow we will see a top recd post about how Obama is a republican

[Andy823]

21. K&R

This should piss of a lot of republicans!

[JDPriestly]

22. Wonderful! Thank, Mr. President. That took courage to do the right thing.

[1StrongBlackMan]

23. Wow ...

President Obama fulfills this amazing promise that not only raises the minimum wage for new federal contractors, but clearly indicates that he will act, within the authority of his office to help We D. People, when Congress fails to act .... and the post ... on a Democratic Site ... populated by leftist that claim to support raising the minimum wage ... gets 22 comments in 12 hours? But a factless, suppositional post about something that hasn't happened hits the Greatest Page in less than an hour?

Who said DU isn't about a cult of a DUmping personality?

Also notice the prolific, but absent, DUers.

Not a good look DEMOCRATICunderground!

[berni_mccoy]

24. Weren't some hate mongers around here trying to spread a rumor he wouldn't include disabled workers?

I thought I remember a fear talker talking the talk without anything to back it up.