There have been some important developments on the battle to increase the minimum wage. As you'll remember, the Senate rejected the attempt. Now the House has passed an increase in the minimum wage. But Republicans in the House will only increase the minimum wage if they get massive new tax breaks for the richest of the rich - further harming America's economy and shifting the tax burden further and further on the middle class and working poor.
The United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries reports:
In the dead of night on July 29, the House leadership pushed through an increase to the federal minimum wage, coupled with tax cuts for the wealthiest heirs to fortunes, and invalidation of important labor protection provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. While justice advocates would normally be in favor of the passage of an increase in the minimum wage, implementation of the new minimum wage will take place over three years, much longer than advocates had been urging. Using the minimum wage as bait to pass the partial repeal of the Estate tax and to roll back provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act is insulting to the very workers the minimum wage sets out to protect. Now the Senate will take up the same bill this week. Send a message to your senators telling them to vote NO on H.R. 5970, the Estate Tax and Extension of Tax Relief Act of 2006.
Click here to send a message.
Sojourners has also sent out an action alert.
