Wolf proposes minimum wage increase for sixth time

WILKES-BARRE — Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday joined legislators and workers to renew his call to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $12 an hour with a pathway to $15.

Later this week, the governor’s plan to extend overtime pay eligibility to 82,000 more workers will be considered by the state’s rule-making board.

According to information provided by the governor’s office, the General Assembly has not passed a minimum wage increase in more than a decade, despite wide public support and many Pennsylvanians working full time and multiple jobs but still unable to afford their lives.

The governor’s proposal would give a direct wage increase to 1 million workers, provide better financial stability for women, rural and tipped workers, enable thousands of people to work their way off public assistance and grow the economy for everyone.

“There’s momentum to finally raise the wage, but momentum in the Capitol doesn’t put food on the table in workers’ homes,” Wolf said. “Too many workers are still struggling to get by because Pennsylvania hasn’t raised the minimum wage in more than a decade. The cost of living goes up and Pennsylvanians wait as 29 other states, including all of our neighbors, raised the minimum wage for their workers.”

Wolf went on to say that Pennsylvanians shouldn’t earn less than workers in West Virginia, Ohio, or New Jersey for the same job.

“We are a state known for our tremendous work ethic, but when jobs don’t pay enough, people can’t afford basics like food, housing, childcare and transportation,” the governor said. “That should be unacceptable to all of us. Hardworking people deserve the dignity of being able to support themselves.”

Pennsylvania’s minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 an hour since 2009, the ​minimum wage allowed by federal law. A full-time, year-round minimum wage worker earns only $15,080 annually, less than the federal poverty threshold for a family of two. Some 29 states have a higher minimum wage and 21 states are increasing the wage floor this year.

The governor’s proposal raises the minimum wage to $12 an hour on July 1, with annual 50 cent increases until reaching $15 an hour in 2026. Wolf said when workers are paid fairly, fewer people will need public assistance. At $15 an hour, nearly 93,000 adults will leave Medicaid and the workers will generate more than $300 million in state tax revenue in 2026, the governor’s release stated.

“Waiting more than a decade for a minimum wage increase is too long,” Wolf said. “The public overwhelmingly supports raising the wage and it’s time for Harrisburg to listen. The legislature must stand with workers and raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage.”