House Democratic leaders are on the cusp of a long-awaited victory on the party’s signature $15-an-hour minimum wage bill, overcoming months of sharp resistance from many of the caucus’ moderates. Top Democrats are saying privately they’re confident that they are close enough to the 218 votes needed to pass it to bring the bill to …
The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 an hour since July 24, 2009. That’s coming up on a decade, but it’s already hit an infuriating milestone: June 16 marked the longest the minimum wage had gone without an increase since 1938, when the U.S. passed its first minimum wage. Because Republicans are happy to have …
Congress makes minimum wage history, going the longest without an increase since 1938 Read More »
Nevada Democrats had a great Election Day in 2018, and Nevada workers are about to start seeing the effects of that. Gov. Steve Sisolak signed a package of major bills, including one giving 20,000 state workers collective bargaining rights, a minimum wage increase, paid sick leave, and more. The state’s minimum wage will only go up to …
Paid family leave is becoming law in Washington state. The state legislature passed and Gov. Jay Inslee has signed a law giving workers up to 12 weeks of paid family leave for birth, adoption, or the worker’s own or a family member’s medical condition, and up to 16 weeks in a year: The Washington state …
Last year Maine voters approved an increase in the minimum wage. After this jobs and wages surged. So business groups are trying to do something about it. And not just in Maine. Maine’s Job “Surge” Last year voters approved a Maine ballot initiative raising the state’s minimum wage to $12 by 2020. The ballot …
Voters Want Higher Minimum Wages. Why? They Grow Jobs Read More »
In 2011, President Obama, speaking in the wake of Occupy Wall Street, called inequality the “defining issue of our time.” Now Jason Furman, chair of the Council on Economic Advisors, argues that Obama “narrowed the inequality gap” more than any president in 50 years. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office echoes the observation that income inequality …
Inequality Is Still the Defining Issue of Our Time Read More »
There’s a lot more going on in this election than the presidential race between Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump. Borne out of the dedication and hard work of activists, ballot initiatives give citizens the opportunity to vote directly on legislation and constitutional amendments at the state and local level, sometimes even …
Minimum Wage Increases On the Ballot In Four States Read More »
The Labor Department is moving ahead with President Obama’s eagerly awaited overtime pay expansion. That’s good news, but we don’t know yet how good. Currently, workers who make as little as $24,000 a year can be denied time-and-a-half if they’re considered managers—even if most of the work they do isn’t managerial. Obama has promised to …
Obama is a step closer to expanding overtime, but for how many American workers? Read More »
The New Jersey State AFL-CIO this week celebrated a milestone in its campaign to raise the state minimum wage by joining partners and advocates from across the Garden State in a recognition ceremony held in the Senate. At the opening of the Senate session, Senate President Stephen Sweeney presented the New Jersey State AFL-CIO coalition partners …
Minimum Wage Victory Celebrated on the New Jersey Senate Floor Read More »
Will conservative Democrats never learn? Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) is facing a tough re-election battle in Arkansas, which is both a low-income state and the home of Walmart. So what position is he taking when it comes to raising the minimum wage, which would pull many of his constituents out of poverty but require Walmart …
The Senator from Walmart Thinks a $10.10 Minimum Wage is ‘Too Much, Too Fast’ Read More »
Madeline Messa is a 3L at Syracuse University College of Law. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism. With her legal research and writing for Workplace Fairness, she strives to equip people with the information they need to be their own best advocate.
