By Bill O’Boyle
Times Leader, July 6, 2017
WILKES-BARRE — The minimum wage has not increased in Pennsylvania in about a decade, and a group gathered at City Hall on Thursday believes a hike is long overdue. Speakers at the rally said raising the $7.25-per-hour minimum rate is a critical step to increase the earnings of workers in Pennsylvania. It would also provide additional income tax revenue while ensuring that working families have access to basic needs, they argued.
State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, said a person earning minimum wage makes $15,080 per year ... “Wages in Pennsylvania have been at the bottom for too many years. Everything keeps going up — it’s time for the minimum wage to go up as well.” ...
Gov. Tom Wolf has included a raise for Pennsylvania’s lowest-paid workers in his proposed budget, and more than 70 percent of Pennsylvanians support raising the wage ...
Meanwhile, Clemente of Arias Agencies said his business also supports increasing Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $15 hourly by the middle of the next decade.
“Paying a higher wage has been a critical component of our business success,” Clemente said. “We know our employees are the best investment in our agency’s long-term growth. Likewise, raising the state’s minimum wage is an investment in economic growth for our state. It will lift consumer-buying power and strengthen the economy for both workers and businesses.” ...
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