Waiting to boost wage

The Minimum Wage bill passed the Senate and is waiting for its final vote in the house.

In mid-February, Archbishop Harry Flynn testified to increase minimum wage. According to the Minnesota Catholic Conference, Minnesota’s current minimum wage ($6.15 for large businesses and $5.25 for small businesses) is not a living wage, and working Minnesota families cite economic issues as their biggest concern.

The bill (HF 456/SF 875) would raise minimum wage for both large and small businesses. The large business minimum wage would raise from $6.15 to $6.90 on July 24, 2008, and then to $7.90 on July 24, 2009. The small business minimum wage would rise from $5.25 to $5.75 on July 24, 2008, and then to $6.75 on July 24, 2009.

As the law currently stands, employers can pay workers under 20 years old $4.90 for the first 90 days of their employment. This bill also repeals this sub-minimum wage category.

Back when he testified, Archbishop Flynn was asked to sign in, as all testifiers do. He signed his name, and in the column where it asked who he represented, he didn't put "Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis," like one might expect.

Instead, he wrote "workers."