Pennsylvania se queda atrás
The Pay Report: Fighting to Raise the Minimum Wage in PA
"Los trabajadores de Pensilvania siguen quedándose atrás, ya que este estado sigue teniendo un salario mínimo que mantiene a los trabajadores por debajo del umbral de la pobreza", dijo el senador Art Haywood. "¡El momento de aumentar el salario es ahora!".
El senador Haywood, la senadora Christine M. Tartaglione y la representante Patty Kim se han unido para impulsar propuestas que aumenten inmediatamente el salario. Los proyectos de ley, el Proyecto de Ley del Senado 1044 y el Proyecto de Ley del Senado 1045, aumentarían el salario mínimo a 12 dólares la hora con el objetivo de llegar a 15 dólares en 2024, aumentarían el salario de los trabajadores que reciben propinas a 9 dólares la hora, y permitirían a los gobiernos locales establecer un salario mínimo que se ajuste a sus costes de vida locales.
Pennsylvania se queda atrás
Pennsylvania has not raised its minimum wage since 2006 and is one of 21 states with a minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. If you are currently employed full-time at a minimum wage job working 40 hours a week, your yearly income is $15,080. An income that low puts a family of two below the poverty line. As more states begin to raise the minimum wage closer to a pay scale that will lift workers out of poverty, Pennsylvania risks falling behind economically by continuing with the stagnant wage of $7.25.
If Pennsylvania enacted the SB 1044 plan to raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2024, the Keystone Research Center predicts that 2.2 million, or 37 percent of the workforce would be positively impacted.
Last Place in the Region
All of Pennsylvania’s neighboring states have implemented policies to begin paying workers a sustainable and livable wage.
The struggle of low pay is not limited to those working for minimum wage. Middle class families and middle-skilled workers are feeling the brunt of low wages too. The U.S. Department of Labor reported that the average earnings of private sector employees in Pennsylvania increased 34 cents from Diciembre 2016 to Diciembre 2017. In the same year, private sector employees in Maryland received an average increase of $1.98, New Jersey employees saw an average increase of $1.17, and West Virginia employees’ average earnings increased $1.26.
Help Pennsylvania Get Back on Track
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If lawmakers continue to allow ridiculously low wages to be paid, the gap between Pennsylvania workers and their interstate counterparts will continue to grow, leaving Pennsylvania’s workers, families, and economy behind. Implementing a steady annual pay increase to account for the yearly increase in living expenses is proven to begin pulling low-wage workers out of poverty and ensure that mid-skilled workers can sustain their livelihood year to year. 1.7 million workers would benefit from an immediate minimum wage raise. This number would reach 2.2 million by 2024.
Sen. Haywood is cosponsoring a proposal to immediately implement a $12 minimum wage, $9 for tipped workers, and to begin the process of increasing the wage to $15, $12 for tipped workers, by 2024.
The implementation of a gradual pay increase over a consistent number of years has been working in Maryland, Ohio, New York, and New Jersey. It is long overdue that Pennsylvania joins its neighbors in helping the lowest paid citizens receive a wage that will bring them out of poverty and give them the chance to be financially stable.
Qué podemos hacer
Es hora de que los legisladores se unan y apoyen un aumento del salario mínimo en Pensilvania. Para obtener más información sobre cómo participar en la lucha para aumentar el salario, visite el Citizen Advocacy Hub del senador Haywood o póngase en contacto con su oficina de distrito.
