Minimum wage wars.Congress hasn't has·n't Contraction of has not. hasn't has not hasn't have raised the minimum wage since 1997 and increasingly, this contentious issue has become a state issue. Currently 15 states and the District of Columbia District of Columbia, federal district (2000 pop. 572,059, a 5.7% decrease in population since the 1990 census), 69 sq mi (179 sq km), on the east bank of the Potomac River, coextensive with the city of Washington, D.C. (the capital of the United States). have state minimum wages that are higher than the federal minimum wage and 36 states considered bills this year to increase theirs. About 2.2 million U.S. workers are paid at or below the federal minimum wage, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Bureau of Labor Statistics Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) A research agency of the U.S. Department of Labor; it compiles statistics on hours of work, average hourly earnings, employment and unemployment, consumer prices and many other variables. , using 2002 figures. Almost 600,000 earn the minimum wage of $5.15 an hour and more than 1.6 million earn less than that because they are not covered not covered Health care adjective Referring to a procedure, test or other health service to which a policy holder or insurance beneficiary is not entitled under the terms of the policy or payment system–eg, Medicare. Cf Covered. by minimum wage laws. The highest proportion of minimum wage jobs are found in retail, agricultural and service industries. Advocates for increasing the minimum wage argue that it would benefit working families. Because the minimum wage does not go up automatically with inflation, it has not kept pace with the increased cost of living. According to the Economic Policy Institute, a liberal think tank, raising the minimum wage lifts families above the poverty line and has a ripple effect ripple effect Epidemiology See Signal event. on wages across the board because employers will often also raise wages for those earning above the minimum wage when the minimum wage goes up. That benefits the economy by strengthening consumers' buying power Buying Power The money an investor has available to buy securities. In a margin account, the buying power is the total cash held in the brokerage account plus maximum margin available. Also referred to as "Excess Equity. . Not so, say advocates of the business community. According to the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, increases serve to remove the lowest rung on the economic ladder ladder walking under one can bring only misfortune. [Western Folklore: Leach, 598] See : Luck, Bad ladder stood upon by Joseph to remove nails holding Christ to the cross. , as businesses eliminate jobs in response to the higher labor costs they face when the minimum wage goes up. That hurts the poorest Americans the hardest. They maintain that minimum wage increases hobble hobble leather straps fastened around the pasterns of horses, mules and donkeys. Placed on all four legs and pulled together by a rope, it provides an effective means of casting the horse. the economy by increasing labor costs and dampening economic development. The result is higher unemployment, particularly among young, poor or unskilled workers. As Congress is unlikely to raise the federal minimum wage any time soon, it's it's 1. Contraction of it is. 2. Contraction of it has. See Usage Note at its. it's it is or it has it's be ~have up to the states to balance the needs of both workers and employers. During the 2005 legislative session, New Jersey raised its minimum wage to $6.15. As of this writing, similar legislation has passed both chambers in Maryland Maryland (mâr`ələnd), one of the Middle Atlantic states of the United States. It is bounded by Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean (E), the District of Columbia (S), Virginia and West Virginia (S, W), and Pennsylvania (N). .
LEAVE IT UP TO THE VOTERS?
Citizens have been asked to increase their state minimum
wage eight times since 1996 and only twice have they said no.
California 1996 Passed by 61%
Florida 2004 Passed by 71%
Missouri 1996 Failed
Montana 1996 Failed
Nevada * 2004 Passed by 68%
Oregon 2002 Passed by 52%
Oregon 1996 Passed by 57%
Washington 1998 Passed by 66%
* must be re-ratified in 2006
Source: NCSL Initiative & Referendum Database
CURRENT MINIMUM WAGES
State Minimum Wage
(per hour)
Alabama none
Alaska $7.15
American Samoa varies by industry
Arizona none
Arkansas $5.15
California $6.75
Colorado $5.15
Connecticut $7.10
Delaware $6.15
Washington, D.C. $6.60
Florida $6.15
Georgia $5.15
Guam $5.15
Hawaii $6.25
Idaho $5.15
Illinois $6.50
Indiana $5.15
Iowa $5.15
Kansas $2.65
Kentucky $5.15
Louisiana none
Maine $6.35
Maryland $5.15
Massachusetts $6.75
Michigan $5.15
Minnesota * $5.15/$4.90
Mississippi none
Missouri $5.15
Montana * $5.15/$4.00
Nebraska $5.15
Nevada $5.15
Hampshire $5.15
Jersey $6.15
Mexico $5.15
New York $6.00
North Carolina $5.15
North Dakota $5.15
Ohio * $4.25/$3.35/$2.80
Oklahoma * $5.15/$2.00
Oregon $7.25
Pennsylvania $5.15
Puerto Rico ** $3.61/$5.15
Rhode Island $6.75
South Carolina none
South Dakota $5.15
Tennessee none
Texas $5.15
Utah $5.15
Vermont $7.00
Virginia $5.15
Virgin Islands * $4.65/$4.30
Washington $7.35
West Virginia $5.15
Wisconsin $5.15
Wyoming $5.15
Federal $5.15
* Depending on annual gross sales receipts.
** Lower amount applies to workers not covered
by the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Labor, Employment Standards
Administration, Wage and Hour Division, April 2005.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion