The One With The Waggly Tail
May 5th, 2006 by JoshI know this blog is in danger of becoming solely a “cool stuff” cum Pennsylvania minimum wage site, but how can you not love this story?
Woof! Woof!
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July 17th, 2006 at 11:03 pm
I want to thank you for your vigorous support of Pennsylvania’s 39% minimum wage increase, which–to the surprise of many–passed both the House and the Senate and was signed into law by Governor Ed Rendell on July 9, 2006.
I have introduced minimum wage legislation in past sessions, and got Pennsylvania’s first minimum wage increase (10%) passed in 1988.
But this year, we had more citizen support than ever before, and various internet-based communities were a big part of that. Your support was very helpful in achieving the just result we did.
The battle is not over. The $7.15 figure was picked because it was the New York standard, and New Jersey and Delaware helped by enacting it also.
But a full-time minimum wage worker, with two dependents, even at $7.15 is still in poverty.
I have introduced legislation establishing an $8 an hour minimum wage for 2008. A similar bill now awaits the signature of the Governor of Massachusetts. At least California, Washington State, Oregon, and Vermont are also likely to hit $8 in 2008–and I am sure that many other states will also follow.
When we passed the $7.15 legislation, our minimum wage was 93% of the top already enumerated minimum wage in the country (Connecticut’s $7.65 scheduled to take effect in 2007). With action in Massachusetts, we will be down to 89% of the country’s top minimum wage. We will fall further as inflation continues to rise and other states wisely take corrective action. Your continued advocacy would be quite welcome.