June 2006
06.12.06 Plain Dealer: Minimum Wage key for Ohio Dems
by aflciopolitical
If labor and anti-poverty groups can get that issue on the November ballot, some political experts contend, Democratic voters will be much more likely to go to the polls. They will pick their party’s candidates to serve as governor and U.S. senator and
People's Weekly World - Minimum wage to loom large in Ohio vote
by aflciopolitical
Illustration by D. Baldinger A variety of progressive, issue-oriented forces are at work in the Ohio elections, trying to build a political movement capable of ousting the ultra-right from control of state government in November. Industrial unions,
April 2006
04.18.06 ME: Gov. Baldacci signs minimum wage bill
by aflciopolitical
AUGUSTA (April 13) - Gov. John E. Baldacci signed LD 235 this afternoon, giving everyone earning minimum wage a pay raise, effective in October. The bill, "An Act to Increase the Minimum Wage," will raise Maine's minimum wage to $6.75 an hour in October 2
04.12.06 PA: Philadelphia Business Journal: Pa. should follow other states on minimum wage, legislator says - 2006-04-12
by aflciopolitical
The House approve the measure April 5 -- which would push the states's wage to $6.25 per hour on July 1 and to $7.15 per hour on July 1, 2007 -- April 5. Cohen urged the state Senate to act soon on the measure, which Gov. Ed Rendell has pledged to support
04.10.06 ME: Minimum wage increase wins by a vote in House - Boston.com
by aflciopolitical
AUGUSTA, Maine --A proposal to increase Maine's minimum wage to $7 an hour by October 2007 won approval by a single vote in the Maine House on Monday, but further legislative votes are still pending and prospects for final approval are not guaranteed. Af
04.11.06 AR: Huckabee signs law boosting minimum wage
by aflciopolitical
Gov. Mike Huckabee signed into law Monday a bill that will raise the state’s minimum wage to $ 6. 25 an hour, giving Arkansas ’ workers a higher minimum wage than is paid in any surrounding state. The increase was one of several bills adopted by the A
04.11.06 PA/WV: Minimum Wage Developments in Pennsylvania, West Virginia
by aflciopolitical
In Pennsylvania , House Bill (HB) 257, which would increase the minimum wage in two phases, was approved by the state's House on April 5. It would raise the minimum wage from its current rate of $5.15 to $6.25 on July 1, 2006 and to $7.15 on July 1, 2007
03.31.06 OK: Petition Calls For Vote On Raising State's Minimum Wage
by aflciopolitical
Oklahoma City (AP) - An initiative petition calling for a statewide vote on raising the state's minimum wage has been filed with the secretary of state. The petition by the group Raise Oklahoma calls for raising the minimum wage in Oklahoma from the feder
04.06.06 ME: House, Senate disagree on minimum wage bill - A.J. Higgins
by aflciopolitical
AUGUSTA - A bill to increase the minimum wage to $7 an hour by Oct. 1, 2007, ran into trouble Wednesday when the House voted 74-66 for an amendment that reduced the increase and delayed its implementation. After defeating an identical amendment presented
04.05.06 AR: Ark. minimum wage increase headed to governor's office
by aflciopolitical
LITTLE ROCK - A bill to increase the state's minimum wage by $1.10 won legislative approval Wednesday, giving workers high hopes they will see an increase for the first time in nine years. The House approved the measure to raise the wage from $5.15 an hou
04.06.06 AR: House OKs minimum wage hike; Senate sends funeral protest bill to governor
by aflciopolitical
LITTLE ROCK - Legislation to increase the state's minimum wage easily passed the House on Wednesday, virtually assuring that thousands of Arkansas workers will get a $1.10 an hour raise this fall. House Bill 1033 by Rep. Benny Petrus, D-Stuttgart, passed
04.06.06 PA: House OKs raising Pa. minimum wage
by aflciopolitical
House OKs raising Pa. minimum wage The $2 hike would bring the rate to $7.15 an hour by July 2007. The Senate backs a smaller pay increase. By Martha Raffaele Associated Press HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania's minimum wage would rise $2 an hour by July 1, 2007
04.06.06 AR: Arkansas legislators agree on $6.25 hourly wage
by aflciopolitical
LITTLE ROCK - A bill to increase Arkansas' minimum wage to $6.25 an hour was closer to becoming law Wednesday as legislators largely rejected arguments that a mandated hike could cost the state jobs. The increase from the current $5.15 rate, a 21.4 percen
04.04.06 MI: Carwash Workers Happy - MI Minimum Wage Rises
by aflciopolitical
DETROIT — Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed a law raising the minimum wage by $2.25 last week, surprising the Republican State Legislature and raising celebrations among minimum wage workers like carwash employees in the cutthroat Detroit market, a
04.05.06 WV: Manchin Signs Minimum Wage Hike
by aflciopolitical
Gov. Joe Manchin on Tuesday signed into law an increase in the state’s minimum wage, which will rise to $7.25 an hour within two years.
04.05.06 TN: Senate Panel Votes to Up Minimum Wage
by aflciopolitical
Two Republican state senators broke ranks with their party by not voting against raising the minimum wage Tuesday, allowing the Democratic-backed proposal to proceed. While the debate on raising the minimum wage from the federally mandated $5.15 an hou
04.03.06 AR: Minimum Wage Hike Approved By Committee
by aflciopolitical
A committee of the Arkansas state Senate has endorsed a bill to raise the minimum wage in Arkansas from $5.15 per hour to $6.25 per hour. The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee endorsed the bill Monday on a voice vote. The bill must still b
04.02.06 AR: Session call includes anti-smoking bill, minimum wage hike
by aflciopolitical
The issues are among the 31 items that Gov. Mike Huckabee listed in the special session call he issued Friday. The smoking ban is the governor's proposal. Lawmakers, a coalition of community and church groups and the state's business community agreed on a
04.03.06 Study: Minimum-wage hikes boost retail employment -- Newsday.com
by aflciopolitical
A new study has ratcheted up the debate over whether minimum-wage hikes cause job losses in New York State. According to the Fiscal Policy Institute, a research group in Albany, the state's minimum-wage increases have helped small businesses, not hur
04.01.06 CA: Minimum Wage Hearings Not Doing Much For Gov.
by aflciopolitical
Sacramento, CA – When it comes to raising the minimum wage, it seems like no one can agree. The California Labor Federation is sponsoring bills in the Assembly and Senate to boost the $6.75 minimum wage by $1 and make future increases automatic with the
March 2006
Petition calls for vote on raising state's minimum wage
by aflciopolitical
OKLAHOMA CITY An initiative petition calling for a statewide vote on raising the state's minimum wage has been filed with the secretary of state. The petition by the group Raise Oklahoma calls for raising the minimum wage in Oklahoma from the federal mini
03.30.06 MA: Minimum-wage increase supporters are hopeful
by aflciopolitical
Attorney General Thomas Reilly last Wednesday joined the chorus of workers, unions and lawmakers calling for the state to adopt the highest minimum wage in the nation. Speaking to more than 100 workers and supporters of the proposal to increase the w
03.30.06 CA: Minimum wage hike stalls / Governor's plan dies, and he says he'll veto Democrats' plan
by aflciopolitical
Sacramento -- A key piece of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's re-election year agenda suffered a setback Wednesday as his bid to raise the minimum wage by $1 failed in its first legislative hearing. Senate Democrats instead approved a broader proposal that
03.27.06 AR: Legislators to Consider Minimum Wage Increase in Arkansas
by aflciopolitical
Little Rock - A compromise has been reached regarding Arkansas' minimum wage. Instead of sending the issue to the voters, legislators will consider a minimum wage increase during a special session. A group known as "Give Arkansas A Raise Now" has been try
