Tagged: minimum wage

Washington's concern about setting a new national minimum wage inspired the New York State Assembly to make its minimum wage legislation reflect the $9 an hour goal set by President Obama in his State of the Union proposal.

According to a January 2013 report by the Fiscal Policy Institute, a person working full-time would earn around $3,000 more a year, if New York's minimum wage goes to $8.75, as Governor Andrew Cuomo recommended in his State of the State address.

The two sides squared off Thursday at a legislative hearing.

Connecticut Working Families is backing legislation that would increase the minimum wage from $8.25 an hour to $9 on July 1. The legislation also calls for automatic raises in the minimum wage tied to increases in the Consumer Price Index, the federal measure of inflation.

The Connecticut Business and Industry Association opposes the legislation. It says higher labor costs will force employers to hire fewer workers and increase prices.

WAMC's David Guistina speaks with Alan Chartock about the possibility of a minimum wage hike in New York.

  Advocates for a higher minimum wage in New York plan to rally Monday at the state Capitol, where they say lawmakers also want a pay hike.

Members of the coalition, following a Thanksgiving week press conference on hunger at a nearby Albany church, say the rally will be held in an adjacent park, followed by a prayer vigil.

The group includes the Hunger Action Network of New York State, FOCUS Churches of Albany and Capital District Area Labor Federation.

On the occasion of the release of a report about income taxes on the wealthy by the advocacy groups Americans for Tax Fairness, Citizens for Tax Justice and the National Women's Law Center---  and marking Monday's 47th anniversary of the 1965, signing of the federal law to establish the Medicare retirement health care program by President Lyndon Johnson---  representatives of advocacy and labor groups rallied in Beacon - Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas was there and files this report.