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Local Leaders Make 2014 Their "Year of Action" for Raising the Wage

Summary: 
Since the President called on Congress to raise the federal minimum wage, 13 states and the District of Columbia raised the minimum wage for working Americans. Cities and counties throughout the country have also made tremendous progress in using their authorities to make sure workers, contractors, and residents can better clothe, feed, and shelter their families.

Since the President called on Congress to raise the federal minimum wage, 13 states and the District of Columbia raised the minimum wage for working Americans. Cities and counties throughout the country have also made tremendous progress in using their authorities to make sure workers, contractors, and residents can better clothe, feed, and shelter their families.    

While congressional Republicans blocked proposals to raise the national minimum wage, the President took action to raise the minimum wage for workers on new federal contracts, and mayors, city council members, and county executives continue to follow the President’s lead.

Since the President’s 2013 State of the Union, 21 cities and counties have taken action to raise wages. Cities like Louisville, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Ypsilanti, Mich. have raised wages to $10.10 or higher for their city workers or contractors. Other cities like Seattle, Richmond, Calif., Berkeley, Calif., San Jose, Calif., Jackson, Miss., and Las Cruces, N.M. have raised wages citywide, as have counties like Montgomery and Prince George’s in Maryland, which raised them in tandem with Washington, D.C.

Recently, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio signed an executive order increasing the living wage for more than 18,000 workers over the next five years. In Chicago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel called on the city’s sister agencies to increase minimum wage for contractors, which would benefit 2,400 employees.

Local elected officials are not only raising their city’s minimum wages but also amplifying the President’s message around the country. In Las Vegas on Monday, Vice President Biden and Mayor Carolyn Goodman led a discussion highlighting the economic benefits of a higher wage at a local restaurant. On Tuesday, the Vice President joined Mayor Eric Garcetti and local business leaders for a roundtable discussion at L.A. Baking Company to discuss the importance of raising the minimum wage.

Today, mayors, city council members, and county officials will amplify the President’s message on raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10. More than 65 mayors signed a letter from the U.S. Conference of Mayors Cities of Opportunity Task Force, co-chaired by Mayor de Blasio and Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, urging Congress to raise the minimum wage. Across the country, these mayors are holding events, posting to social media, releasing press statements, and signing proclamations to show support for raising the federal minimum wage.

For more information on how raising the minimum wage would benefit Americans across the country, go to WhiteHouse.gov/Raise-The-Wage.