Thank goodness there are some states that care about their workers….
California and New Jersey will be raising the pay rate to $17 or higher for some health care workers.
Senior researcher and policy analyst for NELP, Yannet Lathrop, feels while the raise wont make workers wealthy, it’s a good place to start.
“Those higher wages may also improve their mental and physical health, their ability to access credit, and may lead to better educational outcomes of their children.”
“After rent and food and expenses for the kids, we don’t have too much left over to be able to do anything day to day.”
Hobbs says the state’s minimum wage increase to $13.75 “would help a little” but she feels more needs to be done. “The cost of living is still going to be going up,” she said. “We can’t live on $13.75.”
Workers may be in for a fight in the Show Me State. According to The Associated Press, business groups are opposed to the pay raise, so much so that a lawsuit was filed on Dec. 8 to try to stop a voter-approved law that, along with a pay raise, will require employers to give workers paid sick leave.
The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry claims the law violates a state constitutional requirement that ballot measures only address one issue since it included both the minimum wage increase and paid sick leave. Advocacy group members like Terrence Wise of the Fight for 15 said it’s “sickening that corporations are trying to steal our victory away and quiet the will of the voters who made this win possible.”
Source: Black Enterprise
