The federal minimum wage rose from $6.55 to $7.25/hr Friday (7/24/09), concluding the three-phase increase. Opponents of the increase worry the mandate will hurt employers already suffering from the recession. However, roughly 1000 business leaders released a "Business For A Fair Minimum Wage" statement arguing, "Higher wages benefit business by increasing consumer purchasing power, reducing costly employee turnover, raising productivity, and improving product quality, consumer satisfaction and company reputation." Still others believe the wage falls short of a living wage, especially in NY where the rate only rose 10 cents. The minimum wage increase also has no impact for tipped workers who still earn as low as $2.13 in eighteen states.
How does the federal minimum wage increase affect you?
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Retailing 14th Street
This blog is part of "Retailing 14th Street," a public art project by the Common Threads Art Collective (CTAC). We are retail workers and artistic allies of the Retail Action Project. "Retailing 14th Street."
Presented by Art in Odd Places 2009: SIGN, an annual festival exploring the odd, ordinary, and ingenious in the spectacle of daily life.
Contact CTAC at commonthreadsart@gmail.com for more information.