Bernie Sandersa leftist senator, will take to the United States Congress a proposal to raise andl minimum wage to US$17 per hour. The wage increase was also a campaign proposition for US President Joe Biden. Thus, the Senate commission prepares the text to be voted on in June.
“In 2023, in the richest country in the history of the world, no one should be forced to work for miserable wages.”Sanders said at a press conference in front of the Capitol in Washington.
He also indicated that the measure “is not a radical idea” and that, if a US citizen works 40 and 50 hours a week, they should not be living in poverty. “It is time to raise the minimum wage so that it is a wage dignified,” Sanders added to the union leaders.
What is the current minimum wage in the United States?
The minimum wage in the United States is US$7.25 an hour and has not been raised since 2009. However, in some states they have decreed a salary that reaches up to $15.74 an hour in cases such as Washington. For his part, Biden tried to get it to $15 an hour at the federal level, but was unsuccessful. Nevertheless, he was able to raise the minimum wage for federal government workers.
Currently, the United States has been experiencing a labor shortage for two years, and many companies have increased wages to attract and retain their workers. However, that practice is slowing down as the job market resumes its normal functioning.
Along those lines, Bernie Sanders said that about 35 million American workers earn less than $17 an hour.
For her part, Heidi Shierholz, president of the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) He pointed out that the measure to raise salaries “strengthens the economy.”
“The policies of the last four decades, which have increased inequality… have also slowed overall economic growth,” he added. In addition, the proposal would help reduce child abuse, teenage pregnancies, suicides or the recidivism of ex-convicts.
Support for wage increases in the United States, even in the most conservative quarters, has been endorsed by a dozen states in the past decade.
Source: Larepublica
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