| March 1, 2005
Minimum Wage Amendment to S. 256
Call or write to your Senator and ask that s/he vote for an increase in
the minimum wage by $2.10 an hour. For a letter, go to
http://capwiz.com/networklobby/issues/alert/?alertid=7114766 and
enter your ZIP Code in the “Take Action Now” box.
The debate over raising the minimum wage is part of a bankruptcy bill
(S. 256) which NETWORK opposes. The Democrats are expected to offer an
amendment to this bill that would raise the minimum wage by $2.10 an
hour over 26 months. The Republicans plan to offer a counterproposal
that would raise it to $1.10 over the next two years.
Those against raising minimum wage believe that prices for businesses
and consumers would be raised and jobs lost if the increased wage were
implemented. However, a recent Fiscal Policy Institute (FPI) study of
state minimum wages found no evidence of negative employment effects on
small business. For further information, see NETWORK’s living wage page
at http://www.networklobby.org/issues/livingwage.html.
NETWORK believes that people who work full-time should earn enough to
support themselves and their families. Workers who provide security,
clean hotels, wash dishes and haul supplies deserve to earn enough so
they aren’t forced to rely on charity or government assistance. Hard
working people do not deserve to be poor! Increasing the minimum wage
is a step toward obtaining a livable wage, which is the best way to
fight poverty.
Increasing the minimum wage is a step toward obtaining a livable wage,
which is the best way to fight poverty. A living wage is income that
would provide for a family’s basic needs—food, shelter, clothing,
education and recreation.
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