Pennsylvania should raise minimum wage
Pennsylvania’s minimum wage has been $7.25 an hour since 2009. It’s among the states with the lowest minimum wage in the nation. Efforts to increase it have failed.
It’s among the states with the lowest minimum wage in the nation. Efforts to increase it have failed.
But state leaders have an opportunity to finally make some progress on this issue that has been neglected in Harrisburg for far too long.
A pair of Republicans, Sens. Dan Laughlin of Erie County and Pat Browne of Lehigh County, say they want to put forward a bill that raises the minimum wage to $10 an hour and permanently indexes it to inflation. Their proposal also calls for setting the $2.83 an hour tipped wage rate at 40% of the minimum wage.
This isn’t the first time at least some Republican state lawmakers have supported a minimum wage hike. In 2019 the state Senate passed a bill that would increase the minimum wage to $9.50 by 2022. The legislation stalled in the House, and the process is starting over again.
There should be no dispute that 12 years is far too long to go without a salary increase for Pennsylvania’s lowest-paid workers. The question should be finding middle ground on the issue.
Gov. Tom Wolf has proposed raising the minimum wage to $12 an hour this year, with annual increases leading to a $15 per hour wage in 2027. Advocates for workers have seized on the $15 figure as the amount that would make the minimum wage a livable wage.
Meanwhile business interests and their supporters in Harrisburg have expressed reluctance to increase the wage at all, contending that it will devastate businesses and ultimately cost people jobs, hurting the very individuals it is intended to help. We do agree that a jump to $15 would be tough for businesses to handle.
The $10 figure is a fair compromise, and indexing the wage to inflation would protect workers in the future and avoid the need to have this debate over and over again.
Business concerns are understandable, especially given the difficulties many are facing due to the pandemic. But opponents of an increase were making many of the same arguments when the economy was doing well. And we agree with Laughlin that by the time this measure becomes law, businesses should be well on their way to recovering from the pandemic.
After 12 years, some minimum wage increase is warranted. Pennsylvania is lagging behind neighboring states New York ($12.50), New Jersey ($12), Ohio ($8.80), Maryland ($11.75) and West Virginia ($8.75).
Proponents of a higher wage should embrace a compromise that leads to a significant wage hike, and Browne and Laughlin’s proposal qualifies. Republicans control the Legislature, and workers won’t get anything without significant GOP support. Democrats can continue their push for a $15 wage by pushing to elect House and Senate majorities. Right now a deal with Republican lawmakers is the best they can do.
It’s encouraging to hear key Democrats saying that they would vote for a $10 wage if given the opportunity, and some business leaders indicating that some increase in the wage isn’t out of the question..
While it’s unlikely a bill will pass in the immediate future, If nothing else, the latest proposal should be a good starting point toward a more productive conversation that leads to a bill reaching the governor’s desk.
It really shouldn’t be a difficult call. Not only is a minimum wage hike the right thing to do, but it’s popular with the public. A Franklin & Marshall College poll found that 67% of Pennsylvania registered voters favor an increase.
We’re heartened by Laughlin’s optimism regarding the legislation. He noted that it has support from the powerful Browne, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and that he expects more lawmakers to join them. He added that his conversations with business owners indicate that they aren’t likely to offer strong opposition to the idea.
It’s time for the state to raise the minimum wage to a reasonable rate and set it to rise with inflation. It’s a popular move, it’s good policy, and it’s about time.