Sciortino: Proud Of Wage Hike
Letter to the Editor, Somerville Journal
6/20/2006
I am proud to say that the Legislature has approved an increase in the minimum wage to $8 per hour, which will provide approximately $2,600 of additional annual income for minimum wage employees by January 2008.
In modern society, it is supposed to be true that workers get a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. If you work hard, you are supposed to be able to provide for yourself and your family. Unfortunately, too many workers must work multiple jobs, often at a minimum wage, just to survive. It is appalling to see hard workers perpetually struggle, unable to support their families, because the minimum wage is too low. This is about economic justice.
Not only is this an issue of economic justice, but I believe it is our moral obligation as a society to support the most needy among us. In many faith communities, children and adults alike are taught about the importance of helping our fellow man and woman, especially those who are less fortunate. We often learn of the importance of charity and helping the poor.
According to Rev. Paul Sherry, coordinator of the national interfaith organization, "Let Justice Roll," who spoke at a conference I recently attended, "A job should keep you out of poverty, not keep you in it." Unfortunately, making minimum wage today keeps people in poverty because it simply isn't enough.
When the minimum wage issue came up in the Legislature, it was obvious we had the opportunity to make positive change. Unsatisfied with a smaller increase proposed by committee to $7.75, I filed amendments and helped negotiate a better increase with House leadership. In the end, we reached a compromise to raise the minimum wage to $8 per hour, and were able to push up the start date from 2007 to the fall of 2006.
While I am proud of this accomplishment, I know we can and should continue to strive to do better. The question remains: how far are we willing to go to meet our moral obligation to the poor among us?
Inflation is constantly eroding the purchasing power of those workers earning minimum wage. Due to rising price levels and stagnant pay, a worker at minimum wage has essentially received a pay cut of 12 percent since 2001. I think about single parents, working two jobs, unable to pay the bills, unable to spend time helping their children with schoolwork. I think about how every year they make minimum wage, it becomes increasingly difficult to make ends meet. While falling behind with the bills, parents continue to struggle and their children suffer as a result.
By increasing the minimum wage to $8 over the next two years, the real income of workers will roughly restore workers' real income to 2001 levels. However, after October 2007, prices will continue to rise while the new legislation does not provide for any further increases in pay.
The constant decline in the value of one's income has two possible solutions. Under the compromise reached in the Legislature, we will be forced to revisit this issue every few years and subject the public to this constant struggle. I supported, and will continue to support, that future increases in the minimum wage be automatic, and should match the increase in cost of living without any new legislation.
While I will continue to push the Legislature to support indexing the minimum wage according to cost of living increases, I am proud that the minimum wage has been increased, and for the first time since 2001, minimum wage workers will receive a pay raise.
Rep. Carl Sciortino, D-Medford