Rhode Island kicked off the new year with an increase in the state’s minimum wage, leaving Maine as one of the few remaining Northeastern states with a minimum wage below $8 an hour.
Rhode Island lawmakers approved the hike ”“ to $8 an hour ”“ last year and started the new year with the change, along with 12 other states, according to the Associated Press. Connecticut also approved a hike from $8.25 an hour to $8.70.
According to Time magazine, roughly 2.5 million low-income American workers benefited from the various minimum wage increases in 13 states on Jan 1. New Jersey residents voted in November to increase the minimum wage by a dollar, to $8.24 per hour, while lawmakers in New York also increased the minimum wage to $8 an hour, according to Time.
While the federal minimum wage remains $7.25 an hour, that is obviously not an amount off of which adults and families can live.
In York County, the living wage for a single adult is $9.91, while the living wage for an adult and child jumps to $21.38, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Living Wage Calculator. The MIT website defines a living wage as “the hourly rate that an individual must earn to support their family, if they are the sole provider and are working full time.”
While many Mainers certainly earn above a living wage, there are still many who do not.
In Rhode Island, the AP reported that nearly 10,000 workers would automatically benefit from the minimum wage increase on Jan. 1.
Many Maine workers would also benefit from a minimum wage increase. Jobs in food service and retail industries often start out at minimum wage, and with more and more manufacturers shuttering their operations, people who have not earned advanced degrees have had to turn to those industries for jobs ”“ taking huge pay cuts in the process.
During its last session, the Maine House and Senate approved a bill that would incrementally increase the minimum wage in the state to $9 per hour. However, the bill was vetoed by Gov. Paul LePage along with the state budget, and when the veto was considered, it was sustained.
Maine’s lawmakers were headed in the right direction, and we hope they will take this issue up again in the current session.
Other New England states have shown that raising the minimum wage will not be catastrophic to businesses, but rather will put workers on equal footing.
In 2007, Vermont adopted an indexed minimum wage, according to the AP, which has been successful. The state’s unemployment rate has remained under 5 percent for the last two years ”“ coming in at 4.4 percent in November, according to the Vermont Department of Labor. The state’s minimum wage is $8.73 an hour, as of Jan. 1, up from $8.60 an hour.
Maine lawmakers would send the message to residents, and those who may be considering a move here, that workers are valued. There must a balance between being “business friendly” and fair to workers, to ensure that all Maine residents have a prosperous future.
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Today’s editorial was written by City Editor Robyn Burnham Rousseau on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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