Solis Statement on Minimum Wage Increase

Today, Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis (D-CA) issued the following statement supporting a federal minimum wage increase.

"The Fair Minimum Wage Act is long overdue and will help millions of working families make ends meet. When I was a Member of the California State Senate, I was proud to help lead the fight for an increased minimum wage in my home state.

"Today, women and minority workers are overrepresented among minimum wage workers. Too many women struggle to make ends meet throughout their working life and retirement.

"Sixty percent of sole breadwinners earning the minimum wage are women and nearly one-third of those are women raising children. Latinas are twice as likely to earn the federal minimum wage.

"African American women and Latinas only make up 23% of women in the work force, but they represent 33% of women earning the minimum wage.

"The Fair Minimum Wage Act will give 1.4 million working mothers a pay raise.

"We will also give a pay raise to women garment workers in the Northern Marianas Islands who earn $3.05 an hour.

"These women, almost all immigrants, work up to 20 hours a day, and live in squalor - all in U.S. territory.

"Today, we are standing up for all women and minority workers, and the Fair Minimum Wage Act is the first step towards more economic security for America's working families."

http://solis.house.gov/list/press/ca32_solis/wida2/MinWageIncrease.shtml