Secretary of Labor and Industry visits a small business in York to call for legislative action to raise the minimum wage in Pennsylvania

“At L&I, we strive to make jobs as safe as possible, and that includes ensuring the economic security of workers whenever and wherever we can. According to the law, employers in Pennsylvania can legally choose to pay their workers only 7.25 dollars per hour. “It is poverty, the level of wages in exchange for a fair working day from some of the most endangered people in our workforce. That is simply unacceptable,” said Secretary Beria. “The wolf administration supports a plan that ends the legal exploitation of workers per hour and eliminates the minimum wage of workers with tips of 2.83 dollars per hour. We believe that a fair minimum wage for all workers helps tippers - two-thirds of whom are women. “

Governor Tom Wolf’s plan proposes raising the minimum wage in Pennsylvania to $ 12 per hour by July 1, 2022, along the way to a universal fair minimum wage of $ 15 per hour by 2028. The proposal will help workers regain the purchasing power lost since the minimum wages set at $ 7.25 an hour to match the federal minimum wage more than a decade ago. According to the Keystone Research Center, if the minimum wage had kept pace with productivity growth since the late 1960s, it would be more than $ 24 an hour in Pennsylvania today.

Governor Wolf has repeatedly called on the General Assembly to adopt SB 12, sponsored by Senator Tina Tartaglione, or HB 345, sponsored by Representative Patti Kim, to raise the minimum wage in Pennsylvania to $ 12 per hour with a $ 15 trajectory and remove local previous -emption. Adoption of both laws would strengthen the administration’s goal of putting workers first and, for the first time since 2006, increase the Commonwealth’s minimum wage through the law.

In her remarks, Secretary Berrier pointed out the achievement of the final regulation of the department that changes the rules of the Minimum Wage Act in Pennsylvania by updating the way employers pay tips and ensuring that employees with variable salaries receive appropriate compensation for overtime work.

At today’s event, Secretary Berrier and Rep. Hill-Evans toured the York City Pretzel Company building on East Market Street in York and spoke with co-owner Philip Given, who explained why, despite the unresponsiveness of MPs in Harrisburg, his shop chose to pay employees a starting salary of $ 12 per hour.

“For us, a successful business starts with a successful team,” said Given. “It is important for us as a company to employ and advocate for a living salary for all employees in our industry. If we expect our employees to treat customers and the product with respect, they should be treated with respect, and that starts with their starting salary in our company. “

“By raising their starting wages and offering benefits above higher wages, the York City Pretzel Company is helping to lead the way in providing a fairer life for workers in central Pennsylvania,” said spokesman Hill-Evans. “Increasing the minimum wage will help workers - especially women - who make up a disproportionate number of people working in low-paid jobs. York Pretzel is a great example of how a company can improve the quality of life of workers, increase economic security and narrow the wage gap while maintaining a successful business. “

Thirty states, including all of Pennsylvania’s neighbors, have a higher minimum wage of $ 7.25 per hour. Polls show that the public strongly supports raising the minimum wage. Over the past two decades, referendums have been held to raise the minimum wage in 20 states, the last time in Florida - each passed. It is estimated that approximately 42 percent of the U.S. workforce will earn at least $ 15 an hour by 2026.

If the legislature took action to raise the minimum wage in Pennsylvania, more than 618,400 women would receive a direct wage increase - nearly 21 percent of all women working in the Commonwealth. With most low-paid jobs for women in Pennsylvania, the current minimum wage only promises to further widen the gender pay gap.

Legislative action at the suggestion of Governor Wolf would also directly benefit 26.2 percent of colored people, including:

• 31.9 percent of Hispanic workers
• 26.3 percent of black (non-Hispanic) workers
• 15.7 percent of Asian (non-Hispanic) workers
• 25.8 percent of other races / ethnicities

MEDIA CONTACT: Alex Peterson, [email protected]

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