Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Minimum wage wins in NJ and Seattle
Higher Wage Is Approved in New Jersey
By PATRICK McGEEHAN
Published: November 5, 2013
For months, polls had signaled that voters would most likely approve an amendment to the State Constitution that would take the minimum hourly wage to $8.25 on Jan. 1 and then step it up annually to keep pace with inflation. Indeed, the measure passed easily on Tuesday: With 99 percent of precincts reporting, voters approved it by a margin of 61 percent to 39 percent, an outcome that pleased labor leaders and dismayed representatives of the business community.
Business leaders and Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, argued that the measure would harm the state’s fragile economy and could cause the loss of jobs. The proposal was put forth by Democrats after the governor blocked legislation that would have brought about a similar increase in the minimum wage.
But advocates for low-wage workers countered that academic studies show that raising the minimum wage has only minor effects on employment and provides stimulus to the economy by putting more money in the hands of people most likely to spend it.
- more -
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/06/nyregion/new-jersey-voters-pass-a-higher-minimum-wage.html
By PATRICK McGEEHAN
Published: November 5, 2013
For months, polls had signaled that voters would most likely approve an amendment to the State Constitution that would take the minimum hourly wage to $8.25 on Jan. 1 and then step it up annually to keep pace with inflation. Indeed, the measure passed easily on Tuesday: With 99 percent of precincts reporting, voters approved it by a margin of 61 percent to 39 percent, an outcome that pleased labor leaders and dismayed representatives of the business community.
Business leaders and Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, argued that the measure would harm the state’s fragile economy and could cause the loss of jobs. The proposal was put forth by Democrats after the governor blocked legislation that would have brought about a similar increase in the minimum wage.
But advocates for low-wage workers countered that academic studies show that raising the minimum wage has only minor effects on employment and provides stimulus to the economy by putting more money in the hands of people most likely to spend it.
- more -
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/06/nyregion/new-jersey-voters-pass-a-higher-minimum-wage.html
In Seattle, an Election Day win for Workers
By Rebecca Smith
Some say the growing income and wealth gap in America is an unchangeable fact of life. Voters in the tiny city of SeaTac, Wash. (pop. 27,000) – home to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport — think otherwise. On Election Day, SeaTac voters approved Proposition 1, which raises the minimum wage to $15 an hour for travel-related industries in the airport and in the city. Passage of the ordinance is a strike against inequality for this small municipality. But it is also a model for workers and communities throughout the country.
The community of SeaTac is a microcosm of the country the U.S. becoming. In the shadow of a highly profitable airport, 31% of SeaTac’s children live in poverty. Major corporations pay minimal wages to their workers. Baggage handlers, jet fuelers, and cabin cleaners rely on food stamps to make ends meet.
The campaign for Proposition 1 took on that low-wage, no-benefit formula. Ethiopian, Filipino and Somali community groups joined with business, labor, and faith groups to pass the measure. Now, more than 6,000 workers will get a raise. Workers will be able to keep the tips they earn. Many will gain access to full-time jobs. Moms and dads will be able to stay home, with pay, when their kids get sick.
More money in the family bank account means SeaTac businesses will also benefit. A recent study estimates that higher wages will generate $54 million in economic activity and create 400 new jobs. Businesses will see a more productive, stable workforce.
- more -
https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/seattle-election-day-win-workers
By Rebecca Smith
Some say the growing income and wealth gap in America is an unchangeable fact of life. Voters in the tiny city of SeaTac, Wash. (pop. 27,000) – home to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport — think otherwise. On Election Day, SeaTac voters approved Proposition 1, which raises the minimum wage to $15 an hour for travel-related industries in the airport and in the city. Passage of the ordinance is a strike against inequality for this small municipality. But it is also a model for workers and communities throughout the country.
The community of SeaTac is a microcosm of the country the U.S. becoming. In the shadow of a highly profitable airport, 31% of SeaTac’s children live in poverty. Major corporations pay minimal wages to their workers. Baggage handlers, jet fuelers, and cabin cleaners rely on food stamps to make ends meet.
The campaign for Proposition 1 took on that low-wage, no-benefit formula. Ethiopian, Filipino and Somali community groups joined with business, labor, and faith groups to pass the measure. Now, more than 6,000 workers will get a raise. Workers will be able to keep the tips they earn. Many will gain access to full-time jobs. Moms and dads will be able to stay home, with pay, when their kids get sick.
More money in the family bank account means SeaTac businesses will also benefit. A recent study estimates that higher wages will generate $54 million in economic activity and create 400 new jobs. Businesses will see a more productive, stable workforce.
- more -
https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/seattle-election-day-win-workers
4 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
I know...
