On Labor Day, Strickland Calls on Blackwell to Back Minimum Wage Increase

On Labor Day, Strickland Calls on Blackwell to Back Minimum Wage Increase

Columbus, Ohio - Marching in Labor Day parades in Toledo and Cleveland Monday, Ohio gubernatorial candidate Congressman Ted Strickland challenged Ken Blackwell to support raising the minimum wage for working Ohioans, as recent studies show poverty increasing and wages stagnating across the state.

"This is a day to honor the men and women of Ohio who are working as hard as they know how and still falling behind," Strickland said. "If Ken Blackwell cares about improving the lives of Ohioans who are working full time and still find themselves living in poverty, he should support increasing the minimum wage in Ohio."

Data released last week by the U.S. Census Bureau and think tank Policy Matters Ohio found the Buckeye State heading in a troubling direction for Ohio's workers and their families. Census figures show Cleveland is the poorest big city in America, with Cincinnati ranking eighth. While Ohio's gross state product grew 13% in the last eight years and Ohio's productivity growth outpaced the national average, wages stagnated.

And Ohio's economic distress is not limited to urban areas. Nearly 20% of Ohio's rural children are living in poverty, a nearly 6% increase over the last five years.

"Ohio desperately needs an education system that will prepare our young people for the jobs of the future and ensure that college tuition is affordable," Strickland said.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

http://www.tedstrickland.com/news/522/on-labor-day-strickland-calls-on-blackwell-to-back-minimum-wage-increase