Tell Congress: Pass a Clean Minimum Wage Increase

Yes, they did it again. The Senate defeated a clean minimum wage increase that is nearly 10 years overdue. So, once again, millions of minimum wage workers have to wait for a raise while the House (which passed a clean minimum wage increase) and Senate work out the differences between their versions of the legislation.

Please use the form below to tell your U.S. representative and senators to pass a clean minimum wage increase, with no strings attached and no more business handouts.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Pass a Clean Minimum Wage Increase

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I urge you to raise the minimum wage by $2.10 an hour with no strings attached and no more business tax breaks. Since minimum wage workers last got a raise nearly 10 years ago, businesses have gotten $300 billion in tax breaks. Members of Congress have taken nine pay raises in that time, worth $31,600 per member. That's three times the entire year's pay at the minimum wage.

I am extremely disappointed that the U.S. Senate did not overcome the filibuster to pass a clean minimum wage bill, which the House has approved. Now, millions of minimum wage workers have to wait even longer for a raise while the House and Senate work out the differences between the two versions of the legislation.

Low-wage workers have been at the back of the line long enough. We elected the 110th Congress to work for working families. I urge you to act promptly to pass a clean minimum wage increase.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
January 25, 2007


Background Information

A majority of senators—54—voted to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 without handing out more business tax breaks. But opponents of a clean minimum wage increase filibustered the measure, and it takes 60 votes to end debate on a filibustered bill. Now the Senate will take up a minimum wage bill that excludes certain types of workers (like farmworkers) and includes tax breaks and other giveaways President Bush wants—and it’s expected to pass.

So, once again, millions of minimum wage workers have to wait for a raise while the House (which passed a clean minimum wage increase) and Senate work out the differences between their versions of the legislation.

Low-wage workers have been at the back of the line long enough. Tell your U.S. representative and senators: Pass a clean minimum wage increase with no more business handouts.

Tuesday night, in his State of the Union Address, President Bush claimed the economy “is on the move” and growing. Not for minimum wage workers, that’s for sure. The real buying power of their paychecks is at the lowest point in more than 50 years. Today, a full-time minimum wage worker makes just $206 a week, $10,712 a year—far below the poverty line for even a small family.

Businesses have gotten $300 billion in tax breaks since the last time minimum wage workers got a raise. It’s time to demand a clean minimum wage increase.

Tell your U.S. representative and senators: Pass a clean minimum wage increase with no more business handouts.