Sen. Tartaglione, ‘Raise the Wage PA’ Rally Again to Urge Minimum Wage Increase

HARRISBURG, June 3, 2014 – State Sen. Christine Tartaglione rallied inside the Capitol today with Raise the Wage PA to again urge legislative action on proposals to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage and deal with the paltry hourly rate established for workers who receive tips.

“Someone in the House or the Senate has proposed a bill to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage 13 times during this session,” Tartaglione said. “And, 13 times, Republican leaders and Gov. Tom Corbett have decided those bills will not be considered even in committee.

“As state after state acts to protect their hardworking, frontline employees, the people who could help Pennsylvania’s hourly employees thumb their nose at them instead,” she said.

“Republicans are blocking proposals to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage because they listen to fear mongering instead of learning what this country’s best economists overwhelmingly conclude about minimum wage increases. That clear message is minimum wage increases help way more than they hurt,” Tartaglione said to applause.

“Our own Department of Labor and Industry found that the last time Pennsylvania increased its minimum wage in 2007, the overall number of jobs ‘hit an all-time high’ and the increase ‘did not materially impact the overall health of Pennsylvania’s economy’,” the senator said.

Sen. Tartaglione has proposed four of the 13 bills to increase the minimum wage. Her current proposals, Senate Bill 1300 and Senate Bill 1099, would incrementally increase the commonwealth’s base hourly rate from $7.25 to $10.10 by 2016 and set the tipped minimum to 70 percent of the regular minimum wage, respectively.

Once enacted, SB 1300 would direct future increases be tied to inflation.

Today was Raise the Wage PA’s lobby day in Harrisburg. The rally was part of the advocacy group’s activities to convince state lawmakers that increasing the minimum wage needs to happen now.

Studies have shown that increasing Pennsylvania’s minimum wage would help more than one million residents.

“The ongoing Republican opposition to increasing the minimum wage and lifting hardworking men and women out of poverty makes no sense,” Tartaglione said. “It is incalcitrance, only, that is keeping this from happening in Pennsylvania. Gov. Corbett is the head incalcitrant here. Hopefully, he and leading members of the GOP will finally listen to us today and increase the minimum wage.”

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Sen. Tartaglione Says PA Minimum Wage Should be $ 10.10/Hour

HARRISBURG, March 18, 2014 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione said today she will replace her proposal to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $ 9 an hour with a new bill that would increase it to $10.10 by 2016.

Minimum wage increases under Senate Bill 1300 would be tied to inflation once the base hourly rate hits $10.10.

“A rising tide lifts all boats,” Sen. Tartaglione said during a rally to increase the minimum wage with “Raise the Wage PA.” “Pennsylvania’s hardworking women and men must have a fairer shake when it comes to paydays. They are drowning today with the paltry $7.25 they make each hour.

“To the critics who say an increase in the minimum wage will hurt the economy: you are wrong. Studies and history show that increases in the minimum have very little to no negative impact on the economy,” she said.

Citing a University of California-Berkeley study released last week, Sen. Tartaglione said the evidence in that review shows increases in the base hourly rate might mean small rises in the prices of products but it also sparks higher worker productivity and a more positive impact on businesses.

While other state lawmakers have proposed bills to provide a higher minimum, Tartaglione said she believes an incremental increase to $10.10 an hour is the more reasonable compromise. However, the senator’s new proposal would allow municipalities that have a higher cost-of-living to consider a higher minimum wage.

“We must act now to make sure people who are working 60-to-80-hour weeks and crazy hours are still not stuck in poverty once they are paid,” Tartaglione said. “And, once this becomes law, we must make sure minimum wage workers are covered if inflation affects their buying power.”

“Increasing the minimum wage benefits everyone,” she said.

In addition to the higher minimum wage, Tartaglione said SB 1300 would increase the fines and penalties for companies that violate the new law, once adopted. It would also provide for increased enforcement of the state’s minimum wage act.

The Philadelphia Democrat had proposed a legislative package to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum from $7.25 to $9/hour (SB 858) and the tipped minimum from $2.83/hour to 70 percent of the regular minimum. While her latest proposal would increase the minimum wage even further, she said she continues to support raising the tipped wage to 70 percent of the minimum.

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Follow Sen. Christine Tartaglione on Facebook and her website.

Tartaglione Urges Legislature, Governor to Follow President, Raise Minimum Wage

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 29, 2014 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today applauded President Barack Obama for his decision to use his executive powers to increase the minimum wage to $10.10/hour for new federal contract workers.

She urged Pennsylvania’s legislature and Gov. Tom Corbett to similarly act to raise the state’s base hourly rate, as well as the tipped hourly minimum.

“We need decisive leadership on the minimum wage. It is why I have been working non-stop to raise the base hourly rate in Pennsylvania to a level that lifts our hard-working men and women out of poverty and into a more self-sustaining quality of life,” Tartaglione said.

“The president’s decision to lift the minimum for new federal contract workers is great news and his actions must be replicated now. Other states, including our neighboring Ohio, New York and New Jersey, have already increased their minimum wage rates for 2014.

“Better yet, New Jersey and Ohio have tied future increases to the rise or fall of the Consumer Price Index, which removes the political opposition to this most basic of social safety net provisions,” she said.

Tartaglione’s Senate Bill 858 would raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage from $7.25/hour to $9/hour by 2015.

“Unfortunately, my bill has been before lawmakers for too long and I think it should be amended to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum to at least $10 an hour,” the senator said today. “I also believe future minimum wage increases should be tied to the Consumer Price Index.”

Tartaglione has also crafted legislation, Senate Bill 1099, to increase the minimum hourly rate for tipped employees to 70 percent of the regular minimum wage. The tipped minimum has been stuck at $2.83/hour since 1999.

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Follow Sen. Christine Tartaglione on Facebook and her website.