Minimum Wage Increase Expected by Some

None by KCPW

Democrats in Congress may force state's hand

(KCPW News 11/13/2006) Advocates for Utah's poor are holding out hope that the state's minimum wage will be raised this legislative session. Tim Funk, of the Crossroads Urban Center, says there is public support for such a hike:

"About 75 to 80 percent of the people when they are asked if the minimum wage should be increased they say ‘yes' in all polls. So this isn't a Democrat or Republican or an independent issue this is just a true economic fairness issue."

Funk says that Utah's minimum wage workers can expect some sort of increase. If the Utah legislature doesn't act, Funk says it's likely a new Democratic controlled congress will:

"On election day six states passed a new state minimum wage, increasing at least to $6.85 an hour the minimum wage in those states and three of those state were Intermountain states. So we see this becoming an issue that the state can either adopt or have shoved down its throat by the federal government."

According to Funk 81,000 Utah families stand to benefit from an increased minimum wage. Click here to hear more from Funk.

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