Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is using Labor Day–a holiday meant to celebrate American workers–as a chance to again push for a long-sought hike in the federal minimum wage.
“For generations, working people joining together in a union have been one of the greatest forces for progress in American history: winning the 40-hour work week, two-day weekends, workplace safety protections, collective bargaining rights and more,” Pelosi said in a statement Monday. “Moving forward, Democrats will continue to fight to enact our legislation, passed in the House with the partnership of labor, to secure equal pay for equal work and raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.”
The current minimum wage of $7.25 an hour has not been increased in over a decade, the longest time span since 1938 when it was established. Thirty states, the District of Columbia and other cities have established their own minimum pay levels above the federal minimum, as Congress’ attempts have been blocked.
Critics claim that any increase in the minimum wage would hurt small businesses, raise costs for consumers and potentially threaten jobs.
