Washington, D.C. — A bill was introduced in Congress on Tuesday that seeks to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour.
Washington, D.C. — A bill was introduced in Congress on Tuesday that seeks to raise the federal hourly minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10. The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013, which was introduced by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. George Miller (D-CA), would increase the minimum wage in three 95-cent steps between now and 2015. Tipped workers would also see an increase in their minimum wage from $2.13 per hour to 70 percent of the regular minimum wage. In addition, future minimum wage additions would be tied into the inflation rate.
The bill was unveiled three weeks after President Obama highlighted increasing the minimum wage in his State of the Union address, though he proposed raising it to $9 per hour. Many in the retail and restaurant industries oppose the bill, claiming it would increase their expenses, but a handful of retailers have come out in support of it. Most notable is Costco, which already pays its employees a starting wage of $11.50 per hour.
According to a press release issued by the House Democratic Committee on Education and the Workforce announcing the bill’s introduction, more than 30 million Americans work for minimum wage today.
SOURCES: Associated Press, House Democratic Committee on Education and the Workforce, L.A. Times
Photo courtesy of the U.S. Senate