Coalition Demands Higher Minimum Wage
By Thelma Sardin
A coalition of community, business, faith and labor organizations are petitioning for a higher minimum wage for Illinois workers.
July 1 marked the first time in five years that state minimum wage workers did not receive a wage increase.
On Jun 30, the Raise Illinois Coalition held a press conference at the Chicago Temple in downtown Chicago to call attention to the matter.
With the cost of gas, food and transportation on the rise, the coalition argues that Illinois workers are not able to contend with inflation.
Raise Illinois is a major legislative and grassroots campaign to increase Illinois minimum wage from the current $8.25 per hour to $10.65 an hour by 2014, according to its website. The coalition says $8.25 is not a sustainable living wage for Illinois workers.
The current Illinois minimum wage averages to $16, 500 yearly.
Several business owners, religious leaders and minimum wage workers attended the meeting and voiced their concerns.
Annette Jones, a home care worker for the last seventeen years says when she began working the minimum wage was $3.25. Jones is thankful for the gains the wage has seen over the years but she says another increase is long overdue.
Im very grateful for the raises that weve gotten but its very, very important that this continues so we can all have a better quality of life, she said.
Pam Fox, owner of Fox Hair believes raising the minimum wage will have a positive effect on her business and the states economy.
I believe raising the minimum wage could actually improve my business because people who are making a living wage could actually come back and spend money at my shop. It circulates money into the economy when you raise the minimum wage.
In addition, Fox who says she has always paid her employees above the minimum wage believes its un-American to pay people a wage they cannot live on.
Reverend C.J. Hawking, Executive Director of ARISE Chicago thinks raising the wage will improve critical social concerns.
By raising the minimum wage, we are going to allow mothers and fathers to quit their second or third jobs to be at home with their families which will decrease truancy, crime, drug use and teenage pregnancy, etc.
Reverend Richard Mosley, Jr., pastor at Hemenway United Methodist Church and board member of Protestants for the Common Good believes raising the wage will be beneficial to all of Illinois.
$16, 500 is not enough money for a family of four to live on. It is only by sharing what we have that we can really all rise to the top.
According to Raise Illinois, a wage increase will primarily help low-income families who depend on minimum wage earnings. The coalition adds that 80% of the workers who would receive the increase are age 20 or older and over half work full-time; another third work between 20 hours and full time.
Earlier this year, State Sen. Kimberly Lightford (D-Maywood) and other legislators sponsored a bill to raise the minimum wage in Illinois.
According to Action Now, a Raise Illinois member, Senate Bill 1565 would gradually increase the minimum wage every year until it is over $10.
As of April 8, the bill is currently in committee as posted on the Illinois General Assembly website.
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