A Long-Overdue Raise

July 25, 2007

Yesterday, on a picture perfect July day in our nation's capitol, thousands of union members and activists gathered to celebrate something that had not happened in more than a decade -- a raise for millions of America's lowest-paid workers. At a rally near the capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and dozens of congressional leaders declared raising the federal minimum wage merely a down payment on a promise that began with the sweeping elections of November 2006 – the first time Democrats have held power in both houses of Congress since 1994. After months of roadblocks thrown up by Republican lawmakers, Democrats in Congress are finally able to deliver to working families a jump in pay from $5.15 an hour to $5.85. Today marks the first of three raises Congress approved that will bring the rate to $7.25 an hour in 2009. A modest step for sure, but the moment was representative of a new day on Capitol Hill and in America for working families. Sen. Ted Kennedy perhaps said it best when referencing the important work AFSCME and organized labor did last election to make this happen. "This is your day, so enjoy it now and then let's use this momentum to take back the White House in 2008!"