by Christin Brown | October 14, 2015 | News Releases
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 14, 2015 – Older Philadelphians and their family members will have the opportunity to learn about programs that can enrich their lives at 10 a.m. tomorrow, Oct. 15, at the Community Academy of Philadelphia Charter School during state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione’s annual Senior Expo.
Representatives from various government agencies as well as public and private service providers will be available to discuss programs and services for older Philadelphians.
Attendees will get free health screenings, entertainment and refreshments.
Media coverage is encouraged.
WHAT: Sen. Christine Tartaglione’s annual Senior Expo
WHEN: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 15
WHERE: Community Academy of Philadelphia Charter School, 1100 E. Erie Ave., Philadelphia
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by Christin Brown | October 7, 2015 | News Releases
Harrisburg – Oct. 7, 2015 – At a recent hearing of the Senate Labor and Industry Committee, members learned first-hand about the impact of recent changes in the unemployment compensation system as it applied to seasonal workers, according to state Sen. Christine Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia).
Tartaglione said the hearing, which was held on Oct. 6 at Philadelphia City Hall, included testimony from Kathy Manderino, the state secretary of the Department of Labor and Industry, AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale, representatives of various labor unions, legal services, law firms and employment consultants.
“The labor committee has held hearings on the effect of changes to the unemployment compensation system that involve how seasonal workers are treated,” Tartaglione said. “These hearings provide members with insight into how seasonal workers are now handled in the unemployment system as a result of changes that were recently signed into law.”
Tartaglione said that Act 6 and Act 60 alterations imposed changes in wage calculations for seasonal workers. As a result of Act 6 and Act 60 changes, she said that an estimated 48,000 workers are ineligible for unemployment compensation benefits.
The changes have created difficulties for workers who fail to earn more than 49.5 percent of their earnings outside of the high quarter by making them ineligible for unemployment compensation, the senator said.
“Act 6 and Act 60 changes are a hardship for seasonal workers, especially those who are employed in jobs where the work is highly concentrated in a quarter,” Tartaglione said. “I am hopeful that we can adjust the law to make it more equitable.”
The committee hearing in Philadelphia was the second one that was held concerning the impact of Act 6 and Act 60 changes. The first hearing was convened in Erie earlier this year.
Tartaglione said she expected to discuss this issue more over the next several weeks.
by Christin Brown | October 6, 2015 | News Releases
by Christin Brown | September 30, 2015 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, Sept. 30, 2015 – Pennsylvania’s leading fighter for increasing the minimum wage today said she will introduce a discharge petition to force the state Senate to vote on her bill to finally increase the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour.
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Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione said her Senate Bill 195 has been in committee long enough and it’s clear that it will not be considered, despite overwhelming support for the increase.
“Two-hundred-and-forty-five days ago – my proposal to finally give a raise to the lowest paid of Pennsylvania’s workers – minimum wage earners – was referred to the Senate Labor and Industry Committee,” Tartaglione said during a news conference today with fellow Democratic senators, Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks), and staunch minimum wage advocates from the Sierra Club and Raise The Wage PA.
“I am introducing a discharge resolution today to get the Senate to vote on what has long been an unfair situation – and is becoming dire for those who are only earning $7.25 an hour.
“Every day there is a story about a city or state that has either voted to approve raising the minimum wage or is strongly considering an increase.
“Minimum wage efforts have become so successful that – in many cities – $10.10 is now cheap,” Tartaglione said. “But $10.10 is the number that Pennsylvania lawmakers need to approve.”
Of the Northeast U.S. states with a minimum wage, Pennsylvania’s minimum wage of $7.25 is the lowest paid to hourly workers.
Maryland’s minimum wage is $8.25 and is set to increase in stages to $10.10 by July 2018. New Jersey’s minimum wage is $8.38 but it is now indexed to the Consumer Price Index. New York’s base hourly rate is $8.75 and is going to $9 at the end of this year, while Gov. Andrew Cuomo is fighting for a $15 minimum. Ohio is paying $8.10 an hour and will pay more when the CPI is adjusted. West Virginia’s $8 minimum wage is set to hit $8.75 after Christmas. Finally, Delaware is paying $8.25.
In total, 29 states and Washington D.C. pay more than the Pennsylvania/federal minimum of $7.25.
Tartaglione noted opposition to raising the minimum wage, but said their claims are as trite and historically inaccurate as they have always been.
“What the naysayers contend about higher minimum wage rates are the same things that were said when FDR proposed the first minimum wage of 25-cents: ‘Do not let any calamity-howling executive with an income of $1,000 a day … tell you … that a wage of $11 a week is going to have a disastrous effect on all American industry’,” Tartaglione said.
“It’s time to help Pennsylvania workers get a raise. It’s time that the Senate vote now on my proposal to increase the minimum wage to $10.10, so they are getting my discharge resolution to get this done,” she said.
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Senate Democratic Appropriations Committee Chairman Vincent Hughes, Sens. Art Haywood, John Sabatina, Larry Farnese, Sean Wiley, Rep. DiGirolamo, and United Food & Commercial Workers 1776’s John Meyerson joined Sen. Tartaglione at today’s press conference.
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by Christin Brown | September 29, 2015 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, Sept. 29, 2015 – The General Assembly’s leading minimum wage advocate will hold a press conference at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 30, in the Capitol Rotunda to explain how she plans to get Republicans to finally consider increasing the base hourly rate to $10.10.
Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione has proposed measures to move Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $10.10 but her bill has received no consideration since it was referred to the Senate Labor and Industry Committee.
Of the Northeast U.S. states with a minimum wage, Pennsylvania’s $7.25 is the lowest paid to hourly workers.
The senator will be joined by minimum wage advocates and other members of her Democratic caucus.
Media coverage is encouraged.
WHAT: Sen. Christine Tartaglione, colleagues, advocates to hold a press conference to outline her next step to gain consideration of her proposal to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage
WHEN: 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 30
WHERE: Capitol Rotunda, Harrisburg
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by Christin Brown | September 17, 2015 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, Sept. 17, 2015 – To mark the 25th anniversary of the federal law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in many places, state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today won unanimous approval of a resolution.
The Americans with Disabilities Act came into being in 1990, and has been amended several times since then.
“Since its passage, the Americans with Disabilities Act has made important strides in all areas of life as we know it,” Tartaglione said during floor remarks “from curb cutouts to accessible hotels and medical facilities, to speech, hearing and visual aids at public events.
“With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals with disabilities gained more options for leaving their homes to run errands or go to work. It opened greater job opportunities and security in the workplace, and it gave people the ability to become more active in their communities.”
Four federal agencies enforce ADA, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which enforces regulations covering employment; the Department of Transportation, which enforces regulations governing transit; the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which enforces regulations covering telecommunication services; and the Department of Justice, which enforces regulations governing public accommodations and state and local government services.
“I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act,” Tartaglione said. “I ask that they acknowledge the strength and resolve of disabled residents who have waited patiently for change and who have worked hard to overcome challenges.”
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by Christin Brown | September 11, 2015 | News Releases
Two more senior expos planned for October
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 11, 2015 – A multitude of Philadelphia area seniors and their caregivers collected helpful information, enjoyed being entertained and had free health screenings Thursday during state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione’s “Senior Expo 2015.”
The event, held for the third consecutive year at Mayfair Community Center, gave attendees a one-stop opportunity to learn about new and existing programs and services for older Philadelphians.
“It can be overwhelming for many people when the time comes to explore senior living options,” Sen. Tartaglione said. “My Senior Expo is designed to take the fear out of taking the next step, and doing what is necessary for older Philadelphians to better enjoy their golden years.”
Representatives from various government agencies, plus public- and private-service providers shared program information with Senior Expo visitors.
Free blood pressure and prescription drug screenings were also available.
Tartaglione is planning similar senior expos Oct. 1 (Philadelphia Protestant Home, 6500 Tabor Ave.) and Oct. 15 (Community Academy of Philadelphia Charter School, 1100 E. Erie Ave). The Oct. 15 senior expo will be geared to the senator’s Spanish-speaking constituents.
Sen. Tartaglione’s Senior Expo 2015 is presented in partnership with North Philadelphia Health System, Temple Health, Shop Rite of Aramingo Avenue, and Keystone First.
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by Christin Brown | August 4, 2015 | News Releases
Erie, Aug. 4, 2015 – Today, the Senate Labor and Industry Committee held a public hearing to examine recent changes to unemployment compensation eligibility and potential negative impacts to seasonal workers. The meeting was convened at the request of Sen. Sean Wiley (D-49) who has long-advocated a forum for legislators to hear directly from the greater Erie community.
Under Act 60 of 2012, the General Assembly took measures to reduce a $4 billion debt to the federal government and address the long-term solvency of the unemployment compensation system. One significant adjustment modified how eligibility is calculated resulting in a disqualification for workers who earn 50.5 percent or more of their annual income in one quarter, where the previous threshold was 63 percent.
“I understand the intent of Act 60, but unfortunately, workers in the greater Erie community who are at the mercy of the weather to do their jobs are disproportionately affected,” said Wiley.
Committee Chair Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne) offered, “For some time now, reports have been coming in indicating that the latest round of reforms to the unemployment compensation law are adversely affecting seasonal workers. “The hearing offered some valuable information to help us determine the extent of the problem and the practicality and cost of potential remedies.”
“The unintended consequences of the changes made through Act 60, the disproportionate number of seasonal workers, and those who respond to emergencies – like Hurricane Sandy – require us to revisit these changes,” said Democratic Committee Chair Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia). “Unemployment benefits are a vital financial safety net for men and women who have lost their jobs. Making sure they don’t suffer further is why we have been working hard to rectify this issue.”
Wiley also offered, “I commend Sen. Baker for her leadership on this matter and willingness to hear from those in this community who are impacted. I hope that the testimony provided before the committee here today will be helpful in developing a potential remedy.”
Those providing testimony included representatives from the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, National Federation of Independent Business, the Pennsylvania State Building and Construction Trades Council, Laborers’ International Union of North America, the American Council of Engineering Companies, Associated Pennsylvania Constructors, as well as local businesses and employees.
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by Christin Brown | July 9, 2015 | News Releases
PHILADELPHIA, July 9, 2015 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today issued the following statement as she remembered the life and work of former state Sen. Len Bodack, who died today at the age of 82:
“We represented people from opposite ends of Pennsylvania but we shared a passion for working on the issues that mattered – and still matter – for the people who elected us as their representatives in the Senate.
“Whether it was minimum wage, worker rights, or acting to improve the quality of life in our communities, Len showed me and others that if it needed to be done it should be done, and it should be done well.
“I am saddened to hear of his passing, but I will always remember our time together.
“My heartfelt condolences to his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.”
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by Christin Brown | June 30, 2015 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, June 30, 2015 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today voted against the Republican state budget proposal for 2015-2016, saying it falls far short of the needed investments in education, workers and taxpayers.
“Many people believed we were heading in a new and better direction when the voters elected Tom Wolf to replace Tom Corbett,” Tartaglione said, “but the nightmare Corbett budget strategies continue.
“Voters overwhelmingly said they want someone who better understands the need to invest in our children and their education, to increase the minimum wage for people working in poverty, and to finally adopt an impactful property tax reform bill.
“Instead, we received a steamrolled Republican budget that looks too much like the past Corbett budgets, and all of Pennsylvania should shiver thinking about how this will continue to hold us back,” the senator said.
“I’ve heard Republican lawmakers say they, too, were granted a mandate because they increased their majorities in the House and Senate during the November election, but let me remind them that they merely enjoyed the fruits of their partisan redistricting efforts.
“This sham budget is not what Philadelphians and Pennsylvanians want or need,” Tartaglione said.
The Philly Democrat said the budget proposal heading to Gov. Wolf should include a significant natural gas extraction tax, a minimum wage increase to $10.10 an hour, liquor modernization (not a sell-off), less dependence on one-time budget tricks, and the restoration of the basic education funds that were siphoned away from school teachers and students for the past four years.
“Gov. Wolf has promised a veto, and I am waiting to see that happen,” Tartaglione said. “Once it does happen, House and Senate Democrats – who were blocked from contributing to this budget bill – will make sure a better job is done to be more equitable to Philadelphians and everyone in the commonwealth.”
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by Christin Brown | June 24, 2015 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, June 24, 2015 – In her ongoing work to include Pennsylvanians with disabilities in daily life, state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today won Senate passage of resolutions that will designate September as “National Spinal Cord Awareness Month” and Sept. 10 as “World Suicide Prevention Day” in the commonwealth.
During the month-long “National Spinal Cord Awareness Month,” Tartaglione said the designation is important to her because of the boating accident that changed her life, and because spinal cord injuries happen too frequently.
“Did you know that every 48 minutes, another person in the U.S. becomes paralyzed from a spinal cord injury?” Tartaglione asked fellow senators this afternoon. “Today, we have more Americans living with paralysis than ever before, and that number is growing exponentially as our veteran population expands.
“I ask that we take the necessary steps to ensure everyone gains access to the latest medical treatments and technologies because every individual with a spinal cord injury deserves the opportunity for a better quality of life,” she said.
For “World Suicide Prevention Day,” Tartaglione said it’s important for people to learn more about suicide because 1,700 Pennsylvanians take their own lives every year.
“By taking part in this important event, all of us can help put an end to suicide,” Sen. Tartaglione said. “From government to health professionals, from interest groups to family, friends and co-workers; everyone plays an equally important role in suicide prevention.
“Working together, we can increase awareness and education, so that individuals at-risk of suicide are identified, treated and provided with the post-intervention services they need.”
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by Christin Brown | June 24, 2015 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, June 24, 2015 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione added her strong and enthusiastic support today to a new proposal that would eliminate school property taxes for millions of homeowners throughout Pennsylvania and significantly reduce many taxes in Philadelphia.
The Senate Democratic Caucus introduced the PA Home Rebate Plan today.
“Philadelphians and taxpayers throughout the commonwealth have been looking for a good tax-reduction plan like someone lost in a desert,” Tartaglione said following this morning’s news conference in the Capitol. “The PA Home Rebate Plan is more than a mirage; it promises to be a wellspring of long-term relief for over-taxed Pennsylvanians everywhere.”
Under PA Home Rebate, property taxpayers would be eligible for a 100 percent rebate of their school property tax bills up to $1,990, while renters would receive rebates of $500 if their income is less than $50,000. The rebates would be available annually.
In Philadelphia, funds will be used for the reduction of a mix of wage, sales and use, cigarette and property taxes.
“Not only does this sound good, the state’s Independent Fiscal Office has verified its positive impact,” the senator said.
The IFO said the total cost of the property tax rebate portion of the program is estimated to be $3.945 billion, and the cost of the rent rebate program will be $400 million.
The PA Home Rebate will be funded by a 0.78 percent increase in the Personal Income Tax, a 0.6 percent increase in the Sales and Use Tax, a $1-per-pack increase in the state cigarette tax, and a 40 percent tax on other tobacco products.
“Most school districts in Pennsylvania use state funds and rely heavily on the property tax to balance their books, but Philly heavily relies on wage and other taxes to pay for basic education,” Sen. Tartaglione said.
“PA Home Rebate includes a balanced distribution for our great city and it gives us the flexibility to reduce property, wage and cigarette taxes to finally deliver relief. “
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by Christin Brown | June 10, 2015 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, June 10, 2015 – Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement today that he is waiving fees for child abuse clearances and criminal background checks for volunteers working with children is receiving state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione’s approval.
The Wolf administration announced the change this afternoon, and also said there will be a drop in the cost of child abuse and criminal history record checks for all other applicants. The new fee will be $8 instead of $10.
“This is a good response to a problem that was created under good intentions,” Sen. Tartaglione said. “The legislature changed the way we monitor, report and prosecute child abuse and neglect cases following the Jerry Sandusky saga, but we went a little too far in who should pay for those background checks.
“Gov. Wolf did the right thing today by dropping the fee for volunteers and reducing it by 20 percent for all others.”
Beginning July 1, volunteers are required by Act 153 of 2014 to obtain background checks, including the Department of Human Services’ child abuse history clearance, and the criminal history record check by state police.
If someone is seeking employment to work with children and others, they will still be charged for the clearances, but at a reduced cost of $8. People who are volunteering will not have to pay for the inquiry.
More information about clearances required under the Child Protective Services Law can be found at www.keepkidssafe.pa.gov. Individuals seeking clearances can visit www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis to create an account and electronically apply for their child abuse clearance.
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by Christin Brown | June 9, 2015 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, June 9, 2015 – Before a sea of colored t-shirts donned by union apprentices, state Sen. Christine Tartaglione once again celebrated the 5th Annual Apprenticeship Awareness Day today in the Capitol Rotunda.
Known throughout Pennsylvania as a leading supporter of labor unions, Tartaglione said apprentices are learning great skills that will help turn around local and regional economies.
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“From our roads and bridges to our building structures, we have a lot of work to do if we want Pennsylvania to remain competitive nationally and globally,” Tartaglione said. “The apprentices, workers, coordinators and instructors standing with me here are the ones who are going to help us achieve this.
“They are the heartbeat of this commonwealth and they represent our future progress.”
Apprenticeship Awareness Day is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Apprentice Coordinators Association. Apprentice programs are operated by the Pennsylvania State Building & Construction Trades Council.
While the pay for apprentices is somewhat less than that of “journeymen,” PACA says apprentices receive pay increases as they advance through their programs. Some increases happen every six months or every year.
The state Department of Labor and Industry says there are about 11,000 active apprenticeships in Pennsylvania; about 7,700 of those are in a construction-related trade.
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by Christin Brown | June 2, 2015 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, June 2, 2015 – The statewide foundation that helps Pennsylvanians with disabilities improve the quality of their lives with assistive technologies won the promise of Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today to work for a greater state investment in the organization.
The Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation provides low-interest loans to people with disabilities. Since its founding in 2002, the group has approved more than 2,500 lines of credit totaling more than $33 million. More than 200 people were approved for more than $1.3 million in loans in 2014.
“I know how important the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation is,” said Sen. Tartaglione, who was partially paralyzed in a 2003 boating accident.
“I know what a chair rail is. I know how important that lift is to give me that independence to help me get outside of my home. My freedom is something I could never fathom to lose,” she said.
PATF helps people of all ages, incomes and disabilities buy assistive technologies like adapted vehicles, wheelchairs, and home modifications – and pay back the money through one of two programs:
Assistive devices that cost more than $1,500 can be had with a 3.75 percent loan. If the cost is less, PATF offers a zero-percent mini-loan that carries a $20 monthly payment.
“This is one of my first budget requests because I know how important it is for PATF to continue providing the good services they have been providing for 13 years,” Tartaglione said.
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by Christin Brown | May 13, 2015 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, May 13, 2015 – With billions of retirement and tax dollars at stake, state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today blasted the new Senate Republican proposal for pension reform saying the unconstitutional bill has not been properly vetted by the public.
“We are $53 billion in arrears with our two public pension systems because of bad decisions that also were made behind closed doors,” Sen. Tartaglione said today. “Now we are rushing a proposal that promises to make improvements but really only threatens the Golden Years of state employees and teachers who have dedicated their lives to Pennsylvania and its residents.”
Tartaglione said it is wrong that Senate Bill 1 was coalesced behind closed doors as a more than 400-page piece of legislation that was then rushed to the Senate floor for a rubber stamp of a vote.
The veteran Democratic Philadelphia lawmaker voted against Senate Bill 1 yesterday when it was considered by the Senate Appropriations Committee, and she voted against it today when the full Senate brought it to the floor for consideration.
On top of the lack of transparency and breakneck speed in moving SB 1, Tartaglione said majority Republicans are forgetting that these kinds of proposals by states that are looking to save money on the backs of workers who are not at fault for their decisions have been deemed unconstitutional by those states’ supreme courts.
“Unconstitutional, in this case, means we are breaking a contract with state employees and teachers who have regularly made automatic monthly payments for their own retirement,” the senator said. “And they have been making those payments based on the terms of a legal agreement they and the commonwealth accepted together.
“One of the most egregious elements of this Republican proposal is how it would decimate the retirements of thousands of teachers – the very same teachers who taught many of the lawmakers who are now rushing to make bad, unjust and wrong decisions,” she said.
One analysis found that the total savings of SB 1 for the commonwealth would be $3.3 billion over the next 33 years; $2.6 billion for school districts.
“That so-called savings means state employees are going to lose a lot of money and peace of mind because of a bad bill that will deliver hardly any relief for our troubled pension systems,” Sen. Tartaglione said.
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by Christin Brown | May 5, 2015 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, May 5, 2015 – With mounting public pressure and a governor who has called for Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to be increased to $10.10 an hour, a committee co-chaired by Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione listened today as workers, employers and opponents discussed the issue during an informational hearing.
“Supporters clearly showed reasoned, real-world evidence for the increase,” Tartaglione said following the three-hour session before the Senate Labor and Industry Committee.
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Sen. Tartaglione has introduced a five-bill package that would up Pennsylvania’s base hourly rate from $7.25 to $10.10 in January, add an annual cost-of-living adjustment, and move the tipped minimum wage to 70 percent of the regular minimum.
Other lawmakers – Republican and Democratic – have also proposed increases. Today’s hearing, however, was to consider the plusses and minuses of increasing the minimum wage to something higher than the current poverty-level rate. No specific bills were discussed.
Following the hearing, Tartaglione held a press conference with some of the employers and workers who clearly demonstrated the need for an increase, and also showed how paying employees more helps them and their businesses.
The co-owner of Pittsburgh’s Bar Marco, Robert Fry, said his restaurant’s decision several years ago to offer base $35,000 a year salaries to employees – and do away with the tipped minimum wage – has been an excellent policy.
“There are significant cost offsets that come with better paid staff, including lower turnover, reduced waste and increased efficiency, and better employee performance and loyalty,” Fry said in his testimony. “All of this saves my business money in the short run as well as the long run.”
Another Pittsburgh-area business owner, Simon Arias, said he pays his employees more than double the minimum wage.
“Paying a higher wage has not hurt my business, but has been a sustaining factor in my growth,” Arias, the owner of Arias Agencies, Wexford, testified. “My employees know they can grow along with my business, and over half have been with me for at least 7 years, with the rest at least 2 and a half years.”
Workers, also, spoke with passion as they explained why lawmakers must approve a higher base hourly rate.
While Maria Perez and Chuck Harford are currently making a little more than the federally required minimum wage, they said $10.10 would help them with cover their basic daily needs.
“I am very fortunate that I live with my mother. However, I know and worry that a major repair to my car or an illness could be devastating to me,” said Harford, who works at an independent grocery store in Duncannon, Dauphin County.
“In three years that I’ve been working (at Brightside Academy Child Care Center, Philadelphia) … I only got a $.10/hour raise. I get paid $620 every two weeks. Somehow I manage to pay rent which is $700, plus bills for electric, car note, insurance, gas and cable,” Perez said. “We all have credits from colleges and also have major experience in the work field, but we struggle to take care of our children while we educate yours.”
In all of the testimony, Sen. Tartaglione said there is one thing that stands out that people should remember.
“Raising the minimum wage is as controversial today as it was in 2006 when we last increased the hourly rate,” Tartaglione said. “What’s also the same is the gloom and doom from opponents. However, today, the real employers who are paying higher wages and the employees who need higher wages are showing the way forward for the commonwealth.”
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by Christin Brown | May 4, 2015 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, May 4, 2015 – Following a morning-long Senate committee hearing on her bill to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10, state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione, working men and women, and other supporters of a higher base wage will hold a press conference at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 5, in the East Wing Rotunda.
Despite successful countrywide efforts to increase the minimum wage and numerous legislative proposals to raise the commonwealth’s rate, Pennsylvania still requires employers to pay just $7.25 an hour.
Tartaglione’s Senate Bill 195 would increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $10.10 by January and would include an automatic cost-of-living adjustment. Another proposal in her five-bill package would increase the tipped minimum to 70 percent of the regular minimum.
The Senate Labor and Industry Committee will begin its hearing at 9 a.m., tomorrow, in the North Office Building hearing room. Its current agenda is here.
Media coverage of both events is encouraged.
WHAT: Sen. Christine Tartaglione, minimum wage earners and other supporters to hold a press conference urging lawmakers to approve minimum wage increase
WHEN: 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 5
WHERE: East Wing Rotunda, Capitol, Harrisburg
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by Christin Brown | April 23, 2015 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, April 23, 2015 – As one of the leading lawmakers who worked to address the issue of mandatory overtime for healthcare professionals, state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione said the revelation that the 2009 law has not been followed is bad news for patients and workers.
Auditor General Eugene De Pasquale released his audit of the Department of Labor and Industry’s oversight of Act 102. His auditors concluded that L&I woefully missed deadlines for establishing the new regulations and that it was not a priority of the Corbett administration-era agency to do that.
“It’s outrageous that patients and workers were at risk even though the legislature had acted to protect them,” Sen. Tartaglione said. “People have needlessly suffered as tired healthcare professionals did the best they could to care for them,” she said.
The good news, Tartaglione said, is that Act 102 is now a priority as L&I Secretary Kathy Manderino said she will be hiring five people to do the required oversight “to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Tartaglione proposed Senate Bill 835 in 2007. The bill that then-Gov. Ed Rendell signed into law on Oct. 8, 2008, was the companion legislation, House Bill 834.
As she said when she introduced her bill, the need for the law existed because healthcare professionals who protested too many shifts of long hours risked losing their jobs.
“Nurses and other caregivers are committed to their patients first and foremost. They also know their limits,” Tartaglione said on the floor of the Senate in 2007. “Asking a nurse to volunteer for extra hours is a completely different scenario than mandating them to work whether they feel competent to continue or not.”
AG De Pasquale said his auditors found:
- Despite a legal mandate requiring L&I to promulgate regulations by April 1, 2010, these regulations were not actually promulgated until July 19, 2014, or some four years after the required due date. And,
- L&I failed to accurately record, investigate and respond to all Act 102-related complaints it received between July 1, 2009, and Aug. 31, 2014.
Act 102 prohibits a health care facility from requiring employees to work more than agreed to, predetermined and regularly scheduled work shifts. Employees covered under Act 102 are individuals involved in direct patient care or clinical care services who receive an hourly wage or who are classified as nonsupervisory employees for collective bargaining purposes.
New York, West Virginia and New Jersey, by comparison, were able to more quickly implement laws dealing with mandatory overtime.
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by Christin Brown | April 22, 2015 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, April 22, 2015 – Because “a rising tide lifts all boats,” state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione said today a new study shows that if Pennsylvania finally approves a minimum wage of $ 10.10 an hour, residents in each of the state’s 67 counties will benefit.
“History has proven, time and again, that minimum wage increases do not cause widespread pain, despite the claims of critics,” Sen. Tartaglione said this morning during a press conference with Raise The Wage PA.
“The new Keystone Research Center study is one more finger in the dyke of opposition. The KRC’s work clearly shows that a higher Pennsylvania minimum would help workers who have not received a pay raise since 2007.
“When prices for food, clothing and housing have dramatically increased, the earning power of $7.25 has dropped,” Tartaglione said. “Pennsylvania cannot afford to keep minimum wage workers impoverished. We need $10.10 approved now; tipped minimum wage earners need a raise, too.”
Pennsylvania’s tipped minimum wage is $2.83 an hour and has not increased since 1999.
Senate Bill 195 would increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $8.67 an hour by July 1 and $10.10 an hour by Jan. 1., while Senate Bill 196 would increase the tipped minimum to $3.95 an hour on July 1, and move it to 70 percent of the regular minimum at the start of 2016.
The other three bills in Sen. Tartaglione’s minimum wage package include:
- Senate Bill 197, which would provide annual cost-of-living increases for minimum wage earners based on the Consumer Price Index,
- Senate Bill 198, which would modernize the state wage payment and collection law to increase recordkeeping requirements for employers and enforcement duties of the state Department of Labor & Industry. It would also allow employees to receive back wages and two times those wages in damages, and
- Senate Bill 199, which would prohibit employers from deducting bank fees or charges from employee tips when a customer pays their bill with a credit card.
Not only would a higher minimum wage help thousands of workers, Sen. Tartaglione said it would serve as an economic stimulus for many local Pa. economies.
While the KRC study says a $10.10 minimum wage would help 1.2 million Pennsylvania workers, it also says the raise would put nearly $2 billion into the state’s economy.
Nearly one-in-four workers in the state’s 48 rural counties and more than 700,000 workers, or 18 percent, in the state’s urban counties will benefit, Tartaglione said.
“More than 200,000 people in Philadelphia and Allegheny counties would also get a boost,” the senator said.
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by Christin Brown | April 13, 2015 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, April 13, 2015 – Thanks to the legislative efforts of Sens. Christine M. Tartaglione and Rob Teplitz, April in Pennsylvania is now “Sexual Assault Awareness Month.”
April became “Sexual Assault Awareness Month” when the senators successfully introduced a resolution making it so.
“By taking precautionary steps in our schools, across college campuses and in workplaces, by teaching people how to recognize the signs of sexual abuse and what to do when someone is assaulted and abused, every one of us can make a difference in someone’s life,” Sen. Tartaglione said today while introducing the resolution on the floor of the Senate.
Tartaglione credited organizations like the National Sexual Violence Resource Center for taking steps to combat and prevent sexual assault, and help survivors gain counseling services so they can overcome their nightmare.
“Sexual assault is a serious issue that affects all of us. And, the more we talk about it and educate people about it, the better chance we have of preventing it,” Tartaglione said.
“We need to act now to stop the violence.”
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by Christin Brown | March 13, 2015 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, March 13, 2015 – The organization charged with promoting and supporting the arts and cultures throughout Pennsylvania has picked up the fervent abilities of state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione.
Tartaglione, who has been a member of the Legislative Arts and Culture Caucus in Harrisburg, has been appointed to serve on the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
“Pennsylvania has a global reach in the arts, and my experience working with the many high quality arts organizations and programs in Philadelphia will help me amplify the council’s great work,” Sen. Tartaglione said today.
“As Henry David Thoreau once said, ‘This world is but a canvas to our imagination.’ Pennsylvania has contributed vibrant colors and tones throughout its communities through education and investment,” Tartaglione said. “I look forward to continuing this gift.”
The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts is a 19-member body that works to “foster the excellence, diversity, and vitality of the arts in Pennsylvania and to broaden the availability and appreciation of those arts throughout the state.”
Tartaglione is one of four legislators on the 49-year-old panel. Fifteen other members, including three from Philadelphia, are citizens.
Among other things, the council funds grants for arts organizations, arts programming in colleges and universities, departments of government, fiscally sponsored projects, individuals, arts projects, and artist residencies in schools and community centers.
It also delivers Governor’s Awards for the Arts, folk and traditional arts apprenticeships, and professional development and outreach.
To learn more about the council, visit www.arts.pa.gov.
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by Christin Brown | March 11, 2015 | News Releases
PHILADELPHIA, March 11, 2015 – Pennsylvania veterans who fought in the Persian Gulf Theater in the early 1990s could receive up to $525 a month for their service if they apply now for a special, one-time bonus, state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione said today.
The payments, through the Department of Military & Veterans Affairs, are for veterans who were on active duty during Operations Desert Shield or Desert Storm between Aug. 2, 1990, and Aug. 31, 1991.
The deadline to apply is Aug. 31.
“Now is the time for our brave Pennsylvanians who went to the Middle East to take advantage of this time-limited offer,” Tartaglione said. “The bonus could make a difference with Gulf War veterans who need assistance, and I hope it helps everyone who deserves the money.”
The DMVA is also asking veterans who might have previously been denied the bonus to re-apply. New applications are required to reopen a claim.
Since the program’s start in 2008, some 11,000 Persian Gulf veterans have applied for the monthly stipend.
The bonus pays $75 per month for qualifying, active-duty service members, up to the $525/month maximum.
For personnel whose death was related to illness or injury suffered in the line-of-duty in Operations Desert Shield or Desert Storm, there is an additional $5,000 available to the surviving family. Service members who were declared POWs may also be eligible for an additional $5,000.
In each case, the service member must have:
- Served with the U.S. Armed Forces, a reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces or the PA National Guard,
- Served on active duty in the Persian Gulf Theater of Operations during the period from Aug. 2, 1990, until Aug. 31, 1991, and received the Southwest Asia Service Medal,
- Been a legal resident of Pennsylvania at the time of active duty service,
- Been discharged from active duty under honorable conditions, if not currently on active duty. And,
- Received the Southwest Asia Service Medal.
For detailed instructions on how to apply, visit www.persiangulfbonus.state.pa.us.
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by Christin Brown | March 10, 2015 | News Releases
PHILADELPHIA, March 10, 2015 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione will continue her push to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage tomorrow when the House Democratic Policy Committee convenes a hearing at Temple University.
Tartaglione has proposed a package of legislation that would increase the minimum wage to $10.10 by Jan. 1 (Senate Bill 195), increase the tipped minimum wage to 70 percent of the regular minimum wage (SB 196), and add an annual cost-of-living increase (SB 197).
The committee is meeting at the request of Philadelphia Democratic Rep. Leslie Acosta.
Media coverage is invited.
WHAT: Sen. Tartaglione to participate in minimum wage public hearing
WHEN: 10 a.m., Wednesday, March 11
WHERE: Room 301-D, Morgan Hall, Temple University, 1601 N. Broad St., Philadelphia
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by Christin Brown | March 4, 2015 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, March 4, 2015 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today applauded Gov. Tom Wolf for his bold and promising 2015-2016 budget proposal.
She said his willingness to push a higher minimum wage, his belief in proper education funding, his support of her idea to close the Delaware loophole, and ideas to help relieve the tax burden of Philadelphians are welcomed, overdue efforts.
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“For four years, the Republican in the governor’s office said he couldn’t afford to invest new dollars in education, couldn’t support people who need government help, and couldn’t afford to ask businesses to pay their minimum wage workers more than $7.25 an hour,” Tartaglione said. “But he could afford to protect the natural gas industry and corporate partners, and Pennsylvania has suffered because of that.”
Sen. Tartaglione said she is glad that the governor is reiterating his support of a $10.10 an hour minimum wage, as well as future minimum wage increases that are tied to a cost-of-living index.
Tartaglione has proposed Senate Bill 195 to increase the minimum wage to $10.10 by Jan. 1, 2016. Senate Bill 196 would eventually set the tipped minimum wage to 70 percent of the regular base hourly rate.
A recent study by the Keystone Research Center said an increase to $10.10 would benefit more base hourly wage earners than similar bills that would up the minimum much less (1.27 million Pennsylvanians to 404,000). It also said an increase to $10.10 would generate 6,000 new jobs; or nearly nine times more than an increase to $8.75.
Currently, a parent who works a full-time minimum-wage job and has two children is below the federal poverty line.
The Philadelphia Democrat said she is also pleased by the governor’s call to restore the $1 billion that the Corbett administration stripped from basic and higher education, and his call to finally close the Delaware loophole.
The Delaware loophole gives Pennsylvania businesses the opportunity to incorporate in Delaware so they can avoid paying PA corporate income taxes. Tartaglione’s Senate Bill 274 would close the Delaware loophole. It is awaiting action in the Senate Finance Committee.
Seventy percent of the corporations that operate in the commonwealth do not pay taxes because of the loophole, Tartaglione said. The New York Times reported that Delaware collected $860 million from absentee corporations operating in other American states in 2011, including Pennsylvania.
If the governor’s idea is accepted, closing the loophole would help the commonwealth reduce the corporate net income tax rate by 40 percent on Jan. 1 and by 50 percent over the next three years.
“Gov. Wolf’s idea to slash the CNI from 9.99 percent to 5.99 percent will more than make up for the money corporations are avoiding by formally organizing in a small post office box in Delaware,” Tartaglione said.
The senator said Pennsylvanians should accept the governor’s first budget proposal as a significant – and necessary – change in how the commonwealth governs and pays for government.
“Bad thinking and insufficient leadership got us into the sorry financial situation we are in,” she said. “We cannot accept the same approach in finding a way out. We must work on the Wolf budget and make sure it is signed into law no later than June 30.
“This is promising to be a tough battle, however, as Republicans who are in the majority in the House and Senate are already voicing their opposition,” Tartaglione said.
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