Gillian McGoldrick writes for The Philadelphia Inquirer that Philadelphia and the counties around it are leading the way in the fight to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage from the federal floor of $7.25 to $15.
Twelve Democrats and two Republicans from Southeastern Pennsylvania are working together to get the minimum wage raised. This is one of the first big groups to work together since Philadelphia’s new leaders took over.
The minimum wage in Pennsylvania is the lowest compared to its neighbors right now. The minimum wage was raised to $8.75 in West Virginia and $10.45 in Ohio, both of which are strong Republican states.
Early this month, the leaders of Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties wrote to Gov. Josh Shapiro and the leaders of the legislature. They wrote in the letter that they agreed with Shapiro’s plan to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
The letter says that it “helps us all.”
“Even though it’s thought that an increase only affects teens and other younger workers, research has shown that those affected by an increase are from a range of racial and age groups,” the executives wrote.
The Philadelphia Inquirer has more on the attempts being made by Philadelphia and the counties nearby to raise the minimum wage.
