Wicked Local: Arlington Advocate, Brookline Tab, others, Sept 21, 2017
On Sept. 19, Sen. Cindy Friedman, D-Arlington, testified before the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development in support of S.1004, “An Act to improve the Commonwealth’s economy with a strong minimum wage and a strong tipped minimum wage,” an initiative originally filed by the late Sen. Ken Donnelly. Friedman is leading the effort in the Senate to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour. ...
To date, S.1004 has gained widespread support, including 21 Senate co-sponsors, labor unions, religious groups, community organizations, and advocacy groups such as Raise Up Mass, ROC-Boston, Business For a Fair [Minimum] Wage, and United For a Fair Economy.
Raise Up Massachusetts also recently released a statement signed by 90 Massachusetts economists in support of a $15 minimum wage, and Business For a Fair Minimum Wage released a statement signed by over 200 Massachusetts business owners and executives who support the gradual increase of the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2021. ...
In concluding her testimony, Friedman said, “Ensuring our workers are able to earn a living wage is good for our economy, good for our businesses and, most importantly, it is the right thing to do for the hard-working residents of the commonwealth.” ...