Congress Must Still Act to Guarantee a Living Wage
(WASHINGTON) – Yesterday, following overwhelming support in the Michigan House (76-34) and Senate (24-12), Governor Rick Snyder (R-Mich.) signed into law a gradual increase in the minimum wage. Over the next four years, the minimum wage in Michigan will increase from its current hourly level of $7.40 to $9.25. In addition, the law indexes the minimum wage to inflation - up to a maximum increase of 3.5% annually - beginning in 2019. After the bill signing, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement:
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| U.S. Representative John Conyers, Jr. |
“Michigan’s minimum wage increase is a step in the right direction. At our state’s current minimum wage of $7.40 per hour, parents working full-time lack the income needed to cover food, clothing, and shelter—let alone childcare, healthcare, and transportation,” said Conyers.
“While the increase to $9.25 over four years represents genuine progress, this level is still lower than the inflation-adjusted minimum wage back in 1968. For this reason, I have co-sponsored H.R. 1010 to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 this year.
“Raising the minimum wage is both good ethics and good economics. When hardworking Americans gain more purchasing power, they go out and buy necessities including meals and school supplies. This improves their lives, while boosting consumer demand and job-creation across the economy. As a matter of worker dignity - and a means of tackling America’s growing income inequality - Michigan’s minimum wage hike is welcome, but more work remains to be done.”
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