It's not all bad: movement on raising the minimum wage

by: el cabrero

Thu May 24, 2007 at 17:50:27 PM EDT

I know lots of people are disappointed with Congress these days on Iraq war funding, but after many battles I have learned the virtue of gratitude for good news. (And I've never had the expectation of getting everything I want.)

Earlier today I posted about the huge progress that has been made on the federal budget since 2005. We've moved from cuts in needed services to increases--something unthinkable only a year ago.

And here's some more good news. The online New York Times reports this afternoon that Congress is finally moving towards passing a relatively "clean" bill raising the minimum wage in steps to $7.25 an hour. Previously, in what was a really bad idea, the wage increase was bundled into the war spending bill. 

From the Times:

WASHINGTON, May 24 — Congress is moving this afternoon towards approving the first increase in the federal minimum wage rate in a decade, in a vote that would be a victory for Democratic lawmakers and labor groups.

The measure, which would raise the wage rate for the nation’s lowest paid workers to $7.25 an hour from $5.15 in three stages over the next two years, was attached to the Iraq spending bill. The bill also includes $4.84 billion in tax breaks on small businesses, which have made a case that the wage increases represent an economic burden to them.

President Bush has said he will sign the measure, which is expected to be approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate later tonight.

Folks may not realize that WV had a part in pushing the issue. See below.

In the fall of 2005, the Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaign kicked off its efforts to raise the minimum wage at the federal and state level. West Virginia was the first LJR state to actually succeed. 

 Some of the groups that worked on it were the state AFL-CIO, the WV Council of Churches, WV Citizen Action Group, the American Friends Service Committee (my day job), the Direct Action Welfare Group, the WV Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, and many others.

The bill passed by the legislature on March 11, 2006 had lots of imperfections. It exempted most minimum wage workers. BUT it had the effect of adding momentum to the campaign.  After the WV win, state minimums were raised by legislation in Arkansas, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina.

That momentum didn't hurt Nov. 2006 minimum wage ballot initiatives in six states--including some swing states. People who don't usually vote did and all the ballot measures passed. And the extra turnout may have tipped the balance in Congress. 

 If this happens, and it's not over yet, this is a huge victory that will benefit millions of low wage workers. It's the first step on the long road to shared prosperity.

I worked my hiney off on this one. I don't know about y'all, but I'm celebrating. All the critters on Goat Rope Farm are too.