Your View by Pa. Council of Churches: Treat workers with respect by raising minimum wage

Prophetic voices throughout the ages have called upon those in power to show justice to the poorest and most vulnerable in society. In Deuteronomy 24:14-15 we read, “You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy laborers … You shall pay them their wages daily before sunset, because they are poor and their livelihood depends on them,” and in 1 Timothy 5:18 we read, “The laborer deserves to be paid.”It has now been nearly 10 years since Congress raised the federal minimum wage to $7.25 per hour. Had that not happened, Pennsylvania’s minimum wage would still be at $7.15 per hour — an increase approved in 2006 but not effective until July 1, 2007. It probably would not have been raised even then but for embarrassment over the ill-conceived legislative pay raise of 2005 (which was repealed after a widespread outcry). So, since July 24, 2009, minimum wage workers in Pennsylvania have languished at $7.25 per hour, while 29 states, including every state bordering ours, have raised their minimum wage above the federal minimum.The Rev. Sandra Strauss (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/)During this time, we have witnessed the ranks of the working poor continuing to grow because the minimum wage has become a poverty wage — those receiving it cannot survive without public assistance, sometimes even working several jobs trying to make ends meet. This is in part because the real value of the minimum wage today is significantly less than it was in 1968, and it continues to decline without cost-of-living adjustments.According to the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, “With the Pennsylvania minimum wage now fixed at the federal minimum of $7.25, Pennsylvania’s minimum-wage earners will earn less than a third (29.7%) of what the typical Pennsylvania worker earns ($24.44 in 2019). Back in 1968, Pennsylvania minimum-wage workers earned over half (51%) of what the typical Pennsylvania worker made ($1.60 compared to $3.15).”While many of our legislators would say that only teenagers living at home, working part time and seeking spending money earn the minimum wage, data from the Economic Policy Institute show that this stereotype is a myth. The average age of minimum wage workers is 37, with 90% over 20 — and 37% are older than 40. Sixty percent are women, and 25% have children. Fifty-five percent work full time.For these workers, the cost of living continues to rise, while the minimum wage does not, because neither the federal nor the Pennsylvania minimum wage include a cost-of-living adjustment. This results in a loss of spending power over time for individuals and families with members holding jobs that pay only minimum wage. And we — Pennsylvania taxpayers — are subsidizing low-wage employers through payments of public supports needed because of inadequate wages.It should be noted that there is no indication that any of the states or cities that have raised their wage have suffered. In fact, it appears that places that have raised their wage are faring better economically than those that haven’t — with little discernible loss of jobs, and greater spending in the local economy.We find it unacceptable that our call to raise the minimum wage to a level that can make a real difference in the lives of around 2 million Pennsylvanians who are currently below or near the proposed $12 per hour proposed initially (rising to $15 per hour at a rate of $.50 each year) has fallen on deaf ears. It is especially unacceptable in light of the findings of the March 2019 Franklin and Marshall Poll indicating that nearly 70% of Pennsylvanians strongly favor (47%) or somewhat favor (22%) the increase.We agree with the words in Deuteronomy and in 1 Timothy — our workers deserve to be treated with respect and paid a reasonable wage. We believe that a day’s work is worthy of a living wage — and that a job should keep our sisters and brothers out of poverty, not in it.We call on all members of our General Assembly to show justice and treat Pennsylvania’s workers with the respect they deserve by raising the minimum wage to the $12 per hour wage proposed now.The Rev. Sandra Strauss is director of advocacy and ecumenical outreach for the Pennsylvania Council of Churches.
Source: Morningcall