Foes dig in on minimum wage
Bay State business organizations and labor unions are butting heads on the minimum-wage debate slated to come before the state legislature when lawmakers return for the fall session next week.
Massachusetts’ minimum wage is set at $8, and state lawmakers are expected to debate a proposal that would raise the minimum wage to $11 over the next three years.
“A state minimum wage of $11 would be a job killer in Massachusetts,” said Jon B. Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts. “We understand the pressure from organized labor on this issue, but the reality is that they are pushing for these unaffordable levels in order to trigger automatic escalations in their government, higher education and health care sector labor contracts, which in turn will mean higher taxes, higher tuitions and higher health insurance premiums for Massachusetts taxpayers, students and consumers.”
The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 since 2009. President Obama has urged Congress to raise it to $9, and U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) proposed earlier this year to raise it to $10.10 over two years.
Unions are strongly backing minimum-wage hikes.
“When you raise the minimum wage, the economy does better. It’s a rising tide that raises all ships,” said Paul Feeney, the legislative director of Local 2222 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
State Sen. Katherine Clark (D-Melrose) — one among a crowded field running for the congressional seat vacated by newly elected U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey — floated the issue yesterday during a Labor Day campaign stop.
“When people are doing better economically, that’s more money for them to spend. It really builds a stronger community when we’re giving that extra money to families,” said Clark, speaking at Lakota Bakery in Arlington, where owner Barbara Weniger says her employees make between $14 and $25 an hour.
“They’re happier workers,” Weniger said. “It makes for happier people that are better workers.”