Merkley Calls for National Minimum Wage Increase and for Congress to Tackle Income Inequality

Statement

Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley visited Kiva Grocery in Eugene today to talk about the growing income inequality in America and to call on Congress to pass the Fair Minimum Wage Act that would raise the national minimum wage to $10.10 and then provide automatic annual increases linked to changes in the cost of living. Currently, the federal minimum wage is $7.25.

"I live in the same working class neighborhood that I grew up in and families are struggling to stay afloat on jobs that pay minimum wage," said Merkley. "We are seeing more and more of the living wage jobs that we lost during the Great Recession being replaced with lower wage jobs that only pay minimum wage. That means more families are struggling. As a nation, we've got to address this growing income inequality that our working and middle class families are facing, and that starts with raising the federal minimum wage."

Oregon's minimum wage, which currently sits at $9.10, is already indexed to changes in cost-of-living. Oregon had roughly 130,000 earners making minimum wage at the beginning of 2012.

"I support Sen Merkley's efforts to raise the Federal Minimum Wage," said George Brown, co-owner of the Kiva Grocery in downtown Eugene. "It's one very important way to address the massive income disparities in our country and help millions of workers at the bottom end of the pay scale have better access to adequate housing, food and health care. Not only is it the right thing to do, but all of the increased income will be spent in the local economies and provide a big boost to all businesses."

Source