Jan. 2—Workers making the federal minimum wage have not seen a pay increase since 1997—and all efforts to pass a higher minimum wage repeatedly have been blocked by extremist Republicans in Congress.

But led by the AFL-CIO, the union movement has been pushing to increase state minimum wages, and the success of its efforts are noted in the Jan. 2, 2006, New York Times.

Read the full New York Times article.

More

• Read AFL-CIO President John Sweeney’s statement on the need for a boost in the minimum wage.
• Learn more about the minimum wage.
• Read Economic Policy Institute reports on the minimum wage.
• Check out the minimum wage rate for your state.