A bill to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2024 was introduced in the House and Senate on January 16.
H.R. 582 would gradually increase the wage from $7.25, and then adjust it annually. The Raise the Wage Act, introduced by Rep. Bobby Scot (D- VA-3), would also phase out subminimum wages for tipped workers and workers with disabilities.
Critics of the legislation say small businesses will be burdened, jobs will be eliminated and workers’ hours will be cut. Proponents claim the increase in pay for low-wage earners will help boost the economy through increased spending power.
The last increase to the federal minimum wage was enacted in 2007. Twenty-nine states and Washington, D.C., currently have a minimum wage that is higher than the federal minimum.
Nineteen states increased their minimum wage at the start of 2019: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Washington.
New rates will take effect in July for employees in Oregon and Washington, D.C.
Drew Gruenburg is the chief operating officer of the Society of American Florists.
2 Comments
JIMRELLES
Do not raise the Federal Minimum Wage. I am in California and minimum wages already higher than the Federal minimum Wage. I am against the Minimum wages going up in California. The minimum wage was set up for people entering the workplace. Not to support a family of four. California has increased it minimum wage to $12.00 January 1st and each January forward it will increase the wage until it gets to $15.00 per hour. Then people will say that people can’t live on $15.00 per hour and minimum wage needs to go up to $20.00 per hour. Most Businesses in California have raised their prices. So now people who receive the false wage increase are going to need more money to purchase things. It is a revolving circle. The Government Controlling Wages takes all insensitive away from Businesses to control what the employee earns from the standpoint that employees who work hard, show incentive to want to do a better job and follow the Companies Procedures will earn more money. Businesses control over giving wage increases is lost.
office4
I have been saying for years, that a $15.00 minimum wage, as a retail florist, would likely put me out of business here in Dayton, OH
Any employee at $15 will NOT Be happy that they are now a Min. Wage worker and will demand an increase too. In Ohio, we are at $8.55 for 2019.
Even if there IS a small business exception to the $15.00, I’d be competing with Taco Bell for workers and everyone else at those rates and it would be extremely difficult to do that.
First, I’d need to raise prices, my mid-west/Ohio pricing for a single rose immediately would go from $3.95 to at least $4.95 and local delivery would need to go from $9.95 to $11.95, making our top current delivery rate of $13.95 closer to $15.95 … How happy will customers be then ?!?
Let the states handle it! Ohio is vastly different from California. Dayton does not compare to NYC and never will. Miami, Oklahoma {pop 13,570} is not the same in ANY respect to Miami Florida {metro area population of 5.56 million, which is the 8th largest in the country}. Did I mention: Let the states handle it!
–Tom Hamilton, Owner Beavercreek Florist
A Family and Veteran Owned Business for 43 Years.