Finally! After 10 long years the federal minimum wage in the United States is raised. The new federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $5.85 took effect July 24, 2007. Two more raises are scheduled: $6.55 on July 24, 2008 and $7.25 on July 24, 2009.
Yes, there has been much debate about this issue. But the fact remains that at the 5.15 level, even working full time the worker's family would most likely be living below the poverty line, and perhaps forced to seek government or charitable aid. Raising the minimum wage helps narrow the gap...provide encouragement and hope to those at this lowest rung of the economic ladder.
A few minimum wage facts:
In 2002, approximately 2.6 million full-time, year-round workers lived in poverty.
- Nearly 75% of all minimum wage earners are adults (20 years and older).
- 40% of minimum wage earners are the sole breadwinners in their families.
- A full-time worker on the previous federal minimum wage (5.15) earns approximately $10,712 a year, $1,778 below the 2004 poverty line for a family of two, $4,958 below the poverty line for a family of three, and $8,138 below the poverty line for a family of four.
Articles About Minimum Wage Raise
- Minimum Wage on the Rise
- Biloxi Sun Herald
- Minimum Wage Workers Looking Forward To Upcoming Pay Raise
- ABC 13, Lynchburg, VA
- Minimum wage increase makes impact
- Demopolis Times, AL
Latest News on the Minimum Wage
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7 Days @ Minimum Wage: Jessica (Day 4 / Part 1)
7 Days @ Minimum Wage brings you 7 real people with 7 real stories of living on the minimum wage, hosted by Roseanne Barr and sponsored by the AFL-CIO and ACORN. On Day 4, Jessica, an educated mom of four, tells her life-story of struggle to get ahead and make a future for her family. Jessica does everything she can to break out of a daily cycle of pain inflicted by having to scrape by on the minimum wage. Be sure to view Part 2 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4zHlgWEY4U
Runtime: 5:31
28064 views
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Jessica (Part Two) - From 7 Days @ Minimum Wage
7 Days @ Minimum Wage: Jessica (Day 4 / Part 2)
7 Days @ Minimum Wage brings you 7 real people with 7 real stories of living on the minimum wage, hosted by Roseanne Barr and sponsored by the AFL-CIO and ACORN. On Day 4, Jessica, an educated mom of four, tells her life-story of struggle to get ahead and make a future for her family. Jessica does everything she can to break out of a daily cycle of pain inflicted by having to scrape by on the minimum wage. Part 1 is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps0JyNakyQQ
Runtime: 8:42
6644 views
10 Comments:
More 7 Days @ Minimum Wage Videos
7 real people with 7 real stories of living on the minimum wage
Minimum Wage Links
- Business for a Fair Minimum Wage
- Business for a Fair Minimum Wage is a project of Business for Shared Prosperity in partnership with the Let Justice Roll campaign to raise the minimum wage.
- Business for Shared Prosperity
- Business for Shared Prosperity is a network of forward-thinking business owners, executives and investors committed to building enduring economic progress on a strong foundation of opportunity, equity and innovation.
- Mininum Wage Fact Sheet
- This Mininum Wage Fact Sheet is published by Business & Professional Women USA, an organization in which I am a proud member. (Wichita Falls, TX LO)
- Minimum Wage Laws in the States
- Some states have enacted laws mandating higher higher minimum wages than the federal level. From the U.S. Department of Labor, this is a map showing the differences in state minimum wage laws.
- Definition of Minimum Wage
- From Wikipedia
- Minimum Wage Facts
- From the Economic Policy Institute
Organizations
- Sojourners/Call to Renewal
- Sojourners mission is to articulate the biblical call to social justice, inspiring hope and building a movement to transform individuals, communities, the church, and the world.
- Christian Women's Job Corps and Christian Men's Job Corps
- Christian Women's Job Corps and Christian Men's Job Corps provide a Christian context in which men and women in need are equipped for life and employment. Students gain job skills, career assistance, work on personal development and are guided by caring mentors and teachers toward a life of sufficiency.
Legislators IN FAVOR of Federal Minimum Wage Raise
Legislators AGAINST Federal Minimum Wage Raise
Notable Quotes
~ Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean
"Higher wages benefit business by increasing consumer purchasing power, reducing costly employee turnover, raising productivity, and improving product quality, customer satisfaction and company reputation? Today's minimum wage workers have less buying power than minimum wage workers had half a century ago. We cannot build a strong 21st century economy when more and more hardworking Americans struggle to make ends meet."
~ Business for a Fair Minimum Wage
"...the senate has been considering raising the minimum wage from 5.15 to 7.25 over a 2 year period. We have not, as we have heard in the course of this debate, raised it in the last 10 years. This is just going to restore the purchasing power of those at lower rung of the economic ladder, what it was ten years ago. Won't even give them a raise. Won't even give them a benefit. Just restore the purchasing power..." ~ Senator Ted Kennedy
Related Books on Amazon
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
Amazon Price: (as of 07/11/2009) 
The Working Poor: Invisible in America
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/11/2009)
Bait and Switch : The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream
Amazon Price: (as of 07/11/2009)
Class Matters
Amazon Price: $9.98 (as of 07/11/2009)
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