MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES
Wednesday, June 1st, 2005 -- 12:54 PM
By Jackie Johnson, WRNIf you're among the lowest paid workers in the state, you just got a raise! The statewide minimum wage officially increases from $5.15 to $5.70 per hour for about 150,000 workers in Wisconsin.
40,000 to 50,000 are estimated to make the minimum, while another estimated 100,000 workers make under $5.70 per hour.
Governor Jim Doyle says it's important to have a minimum wage that goes up in every corner of the state, not just selected cities.
"I understand some people in Madison may want it otherwise, but I have to be conserned about a minimum wage worker in Beloit and in Richland Center and in small rural areas and in bigger cities and in many communities that would never pass a minimum wage. And that's why it's important that we have a statewide increase in the minimum wage."
This hike for low-waged workers comes as part of an agreement. Republican lawmakers agreed not to block the increase in the minimum wage, and the governor agreed to sign a pre-emption bill, preventing all local governments from creating their own minimum wage.
Doyle says we've had a single, statewide minimum wage in this state since 1919. "We have a good system in Wisconsin by which we can set the minimum wage through an administrative process. Unfortunately the legislature got a little political about it this time, but I'm thankful they finally have come around and agreed to abide by the increase that was set by the governor's wage council. That's the way this has been set for years."
This increase comes more than a year after a governor's taskforce recommended a jump in the state's minimum wage. The new statewide rate of $5.70 per hour will go up to $6.50 on June 1, 2006.
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