This has happened before, when a then Democratic Pa. Senate adopted a minimum wage increase that died in the Republican Pa House.
Pa.'s minimum wage is $7.25, which also happens to be the federal minimum wage.
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Friday, June 13, 2025
Is Pa. Finally Going to Increase Minimum Wage? Don't Hold Your Breath
Spotlight reports that the Democratic Pa. House has passed a bill that would increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour over a period of time. From there is will move to the Republican Pa. Senate, where I expect it to wither on the vine.
19 comments:
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Isn't $7.25 an hour below poverty level?
ReplyDeleteA wage that is impossible to live on even if you are single with no dependents and you are a dependent yourself. No more bs about eliminating jobs by raising minimum wage. Get workers out of poverty.
ReplyDeleteUnnecessary. Wages increased 4.64% year over year in April. Lower wage earners saw larger increases than higher wage earners. Just as we didn't need a new law to close the border, we don't need a new law for minimum wages. We only needed a new POTUS. Elections have consequences. The border is effectively closed and wages are increasing. Labor knows these two things are connected. It's why they voted for a Republican POTUS in the highest numbers in decades. The Bethlehem illegals weren't making beds and cleaning toilets, or picking fruit, as Democrats who defend slave labor maintain. They were working construction jobs for a company that was able to low-ball legitimate competitors who maintain legitimate wage scales. That company should be identified and banned from ever bidding against legal Americans. Their management should be jailed. Legal labor deserves nothing less. Illegals are bad. Companies that hire them are worse.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know anyplace paying 7.25 an hour? Let the free market determine wages.
ReplyDeleteI could see $10,00 , because that is fair for minimum skills and experience.
ReplyDeleteWhy do we need a minimum wage increase, other than for politicians to falsely claim they’re doing something for people?
ReplyDeleteIt’s an entry-level wage, and most places are already paying WELL above that. That includes places like McDonald’s, Dorney Park and Target.
If Democrats want wages for American workers to go up, they can get on board with deporting people here illegally who are taking American jobs and/or depressing American wages.
I wouldn’t say they are taking American jobs. Most of those jobs are jobs lazy Americans think they’re above doing.
Delete10:46 - I understand what you’re saying, but they ARE taking jobs from Americans.
DeleteIn some cases, Americans won’t do the job for the reduced wage caused by non-Americans taking those jobs. But Americans would take those jobs if the illegals weren’t causing the wages for those jobs to be artificially low.
This is where both parties fail. How about proposing a mild increase to like $9.20? I feel like that would get more bipartisan support than one that more than doubles it.
ReplyDeleteTry getting a 14 year old to work for $7.50 an hour. Even they can do math and they know their value is greater than $7.50 an hour. It’s an embarrassment that the state minimum is so low. Taking advantage of the unskilled, poor, and under-educated is despicable.
ReplyDelete8:49 So your argument is "Nobody would work for that," but we need to raise it so the "nobody's" aren't taken advantage of?
DeleteIt needs to be raised
ReplyDeleteMcDonalds in Bethlehem is paying $9 to $15 for new hires. They get a 30% food discount, paid telehealth, paid vacation, paid college tuition, high school completion assistance, English language courses, etc. Check it out. They're hiring!
ReplyDeletehttps://g.co/kgs/v7MHaqw
The market determines the wage- nobody in their right mind would work for $7.25/hr.
ReplyDeleteIf you're here illegally, you'll take it because you have no choice or you'll be turned over to ICE. It's called slave labor and the open borders crowd enables it to the delight of business owners and consumers seeking lower prices. The right thing is the hardest thing. It must end and illegals must leave and go to the back of the line in fairness to those they jumped in front of in line. It sucks for everyone. The right thing often does.
DeleteThe fair thing to do is criminally charge contractors or employers who are exploiting these people. Put them in jail for a few days instead of a minimal fine or a slap on the wrist.
DeleteApprox. 68,000 workers in PA earn min wage, 1% of the workforce. The number of workers at minimum wage has fallen 30% since 2018.
ReplyDeleteThe market generally works.
That being said, I'd have no problem increasing the minimum wage to say $12/hour (with exceptions for youth), then indexing for inflation. Get politics out of it, and give businesses a certainty so they can plan for it.
Minimum wage is essentially the wage for part time high school kids just entering the job market. It is irrelevant for full time workers that can seek market rate wages.
ReplyDeleteNo reason to increase tipped wage mimimum because the employer is responsible to be sure they make minimum wage.
$16 per hour at Wawa. $23 per hour at every warehouse in the Lehighvalley.
ReplyDeleteNo one can fill these positions, and we’re arguing over minimum wage?