Brendan Boyle patrols the Congressional corridors in Washington and Art Haywood works the legislative byways in Harrisburg, miles apart, in more ways than one. But the two Democrats came together on Wednesday at an Abington food pantry to talk about the prospects for a raise for almost 58,000 workers in Montgomery County and more than one million statewide who are at the low end of the wage scale. They called for a boost in the minimum wage of $7.25 to at least $10.10 per hour.
Boyle, a newly minted congressman (13th CD) is a co-sponsor of a congressional bill that would raise the minimum to $12 by 2020, while Haywood, a rookie state senator (PA-4) has been pushing hard for a raise to $10.10, including a cost of living escalator. Twenty-nine states have increased it above the $7.25 federal minimum.