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Charlotte NC

Congresswoman Adams Cosponsors Bill To Raise The Minimum Wage To $12 By 2020

May 1, 2015

More Than 1.3 Million North Carolinians Would Benefit from $12 Minimum Wage Increase

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Alma S. Adams (D-NC) joined in the fight to raise the minimum wage by becoming an original cosponsor for the Raise the Wage Act. The Raise the Wage Act would gradually raise the minimum wage to $12 by 2020. The legislation would also phase out the current $2.13 minimum wage for tipped employees.

"I fought and won a minimum wage increase during my time in the North Carolina State House and plan to continue that fight on a federal level," said Congresswoman Adams. "As prices rise naturally over the next few years it's only fair that the minimum wage rises as well. A fairer minimum wage helps families keep up with the costs of necessities like food and shelter. There is no reason why someone living in the 12th District or throughout this nation should struggle to put food on the table when they are working full-time. I will remain an advocate for a smart minimum wage increase that enhances the quality of life for more children and families in America."

27 percent of people in North Carolina's 12th Congressional District live below the poverty line. Currently, those making the federal minimum wage of $7.25 who work 40 hours a week, earn a gross salary of $15,080 per year. According to the Economic Policy Institute, more than 1.3 million North Carolinian workers and more than 790,000 North Carolinian children of minimum wage workers would benefit from the $12 minimum wage increase.

Since the minimum wage reached $7.25 six years ago in 2009, it has not kept pace with inflation or the growth in the median wage, resulting in low-wage workers continuing to fall behind. Under the Raise the Wage Act, the Federal minimum wage would start to rise beginning in January 2016 or three months after the date of enactment of the Raise the Wage Act.

The federal minimum wage would increase by $0.75 to $8.00 per hour, followed by $1.00 per hour increases every year until it reaches $12.00. Starting in 2021, the Federal minimum wage would keep pace with rising wages overall through automatic annual increases to keep the ratio of the minimum wage constant with the median wage.