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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Joseph Rendeiro
(202) 776-1566
jrendeiro@nclr.org
Today, NCLR (National Council of La Raza) applauded Senator Patty Murray (D–Wash.) and Representative Bobby Scott (D–Va.) for introducing the “Raise the Wage Act,” which would raise the federal minimum wage to $12 per hour by 2020. According to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute, 40 percent of Latino workers would see a pay increase if the legislation were enacted.
“While the Latino employment rate has bounced back since the recession, low wages keep far too many working families struggling to cover their basic expenses,” said Eric Rodriguez, Vice President of the Office of Research, Advocacy and Legislation at NCLR. “In the 2014 elections, raising the minimum wage was a top priority for Latino voters, as evidenced by their strong support for wage hikes in four states and several cities. This bill responds to voters’ call by setting a meaningful floor on what workers can be paid.”
A 2014 election eve poll found that 78 percent of Latinos supported raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour, a proposal that failed to advance in the previous Congress. The rationale for the $12 wage proposed by the “Raise the Wage Act” is that it is 10 percent higher than the peak value of the minimum wage, which occurred in 1986, a time when workers were less educated and less productive than today’s workers. The “Raise the Wage Act” builds in automatic increases to the wage starting in 2021 to keep up with the rising cost of living.
The bill also gradually phases out the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers, who have earned just $2.13 per hour since 1991. Tipped workers are predominantly women of color, including Latinas, and are concentrated in the restaurant industry. Restaurant work is one of the fastest-growing industries in the U.S. economy.
“NCLR is proud to support this legislation, which refuses to perpetuate the historical indignity that imposed a double standard on tipped workers and their families,” concluded Rodriguez. “It is time for policymakers to understand that a strong economic agenda must include raising the minimum wage.”
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