Action Needed on Legislation to Increase the Federal Minimum Wage

Targeted States

ALASKA, ARIZONA, COLORADO, DELAWARE, FLORIDA, MAINE, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, NEW MEXICO, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WASHINGTON

Background

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), a member of the steering committee of the Campaign for a Fair Minimum Wage, is once again supporting legislation to increase the federal minimum wage.

The legislation, the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 1999 (S. 280 and H.R. 325), is sponsored by Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and Representative David E. Bonior (D-MI). The bill would increase the minimum wage by $.50 in September 1999 and $.50 in September 2000 to $6.15 an hour.

While NASW supports workers’ access to a "true living wage" rather than merely a "fair minimum wage," the association views the Kennedy/Bonior proposal as an incremental (and therefore, more politically viable) step in the right direction. As a minimum wage child care aide from Pennsylvania stated in a Congressional Forum last year, "a dollar an hour probably doesn’t sound like a lot to many people, but to me and my children it would mean a real improvement in our lives."

Current Status

During Senate consideration of the Fiscal Year 2000 Budget Resolution in March, Senator Kennedy offered a sense of the Senate resolution on increasing the federal minimum wage. The resolution lost on a procedural vote, 45-53 with two Senators not voting. Senator Kennedy was encouraged by the vote which lost only two Democrats (Baucus, MT and Graham, FL), garnered support from two Republicans (Specter, PA and Smith, OR), and resulted in private conversations from a handful of opposing Senators who vowed their support in the future. With just a few more supporters, victory is a real possibility.

The targeted Senators listed below are considered the most likely to become supporters. BUT THEY NEED TO HEAR FROM THEIR CONSTITUENTS THAT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE. Please call, write, fax, phone, or e-mail and encourage your friends and colleagues to do the same. NASW’s Position Paper for use in crafting your message follows.

In your communications to Senators, mention that you are a professional social worker and member of NASW, and ask that they support passage of The Fair Minimum Wage Act (S. 280). If we can win in the Senate, we’ll shift our focus to the House.

If your Senator(s) are not on the target list, please feel free to contact them as well. Thank Senators who supported Senator Kennedy’s sense of the Senate resolution and urge Senators who did not to support future efforts.

Note: If you want a reply to a communication sent via e-mail, be sure to include a mailing address. Offices generally do not reply by e-mail, but may mail a letter.

Timing

Senator Kennedy may try to attach the minimum wage increase to another piece of legislation prior to the Memorial Day congressional recess. Therefore, the sooner contact is made the better. The Memorial Day recess is scheduled to begin May 28, 1999.