Workers Leading Efforts in Must-Watch States
(Washington, DC – April 17, 2014) As efforts to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour move forward, working families across the country are leading winning movements to raise wages at the state and local level. These victories are fueling a nationwide movement that is taking hold.
In recent months workers and local labor movements have won minimum wage increases in five states as well as the District of Columbia. Moving forward, workers are organizing for increases in twenty-seven other states with active legislation or ballot initiatives. Of these, three are emerging as must-watch states:
Hawaii: The Hawaii Needs a Raise coalition, led by interfaith group FACE and in partnership with the state labor movement and other worker advocates have made raising the minimum wage a priority. Now, Hawaii is on the verge of increasing its minimum wage to $10 an hour while also protecting lower-income tipped workers with a $7 tip trigger.
Massachusetts: Working people are fighting for passage of what could be one of the strongest minimum wage laws in the entire country. Bills have passed both the House and Senate and are currently in conference. Concurrently, workers and community members have joined together as the Raise Up Massachusetts coalition to collect 285,000 signatures to put a minimum wage increase on the 2014 ballot.
Vermont: From the start of the year, state labor movements have worked together with interfaith action groups and economists to make the case for raising the minimum wage. Earlier this month, a bill to raise the state’s minimum wage to $10.10 passed the House and is anticipated to pass the Senate in the near future.
Countless polls have demonstrated that voters overwhelmingly support raising the minimum wage. This kind of state activity is the real action behind a new national debate with raising wages is at its core. Leaders in Congress will soon return to Washington from recess with an opportunity to follow states’ lead.
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Contact: Josh Goldstein (202) 637-5018