Today the Senate has the choice to pass a real minimum wage increase. It’s absurd that the last increase was passed nearly eight years ago and today there’s support for a sham measure supported by big business that fails to address growing economic pressures facing working families. The Santorum amendment is an insult to workers who are struggling to balance household expenses and rising health care costs. They deserve much more than a measure that includes a paltry $1.10 minimum wage increase and poison pills designed to rollback wage and hour protections. The Santorum amendment would do away with the 40 hour workweek by allowing employers to substitute it with an 80 hour work period, deny more than 10 million workers minimum wage, overtime pay and equal pay rights and weaken state minimum wage protections for tipped workers.

A substantial minimum wage increase is long overdue and the Senate should give workers the support they need to avoid falling into poverty. Senator Kennedy’s amendment would increase the current minimum wage to $7.25 an hour and benefit nearly seven million workers. It’s time Congress took meaningful action to increase the minimum wage and reject efforts by big business to deny workers fair wages and protections.

Contact Suzanne Ffolkes 202-637-5018