By Kate Rogers
CNBC, Dec 31, 2014
Hourly wage workers around the country are cheering hikes in their pay this new year, with 21 states raising the wage in 2015 after moves by state legislatures and voter approval during midterm elections. Some of the pay increases in the new year also reflect annual cost of living increases by individual states. ...
More action on wage increases is expected in states and cities, and the new Congress will likely take up the issue in 2015, says Holly Sklar, chief executive of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, a national advocacy group. "State legislative or ballot initiative campaigns are currently underway or being explored in California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Missouri, Oregon, Pennsylvania and New York," Sklar said.
And voter approval for higher wages in red states during the midterms suggests there's some appetite for pay increases beyond traditional, liberal regions. Four red states—Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota—all voted to raise minimum wages in 2014 on state measures, notes Christian Weller, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. ...
Big-name franchises, meanwhile, have been mostly quiet on the wage battle. Dunkin' Donuts tells CNBC in an email that "the majority of our franchisees pay above the minimum wage, and we believe state and local governments are the right forum to have a conversation about minimum wage increases."
Advocates for higher wages disagree. "State action is important, but a federal increase is still essential in raising the national floor. Millions of Americans live in states with little or no chance of going above the federal rate," said Sklar of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage. ...
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