iBerkshires, June 26, 2014
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Minimum wage workers just got a boost in Massachusetts. Gov. Deval Patrick on Thursday signed a bill making the state's minimum wage the highest in the nation, raising it from the current $8 to $11 over the next several years.
According to data from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, the hike will directly affect some 11,000 workers in the greater Pittsfield area and indirectly another 2,600, or about 27 percent of wage earners. ...
Opponents have said the increase would negatively impact business and drive up consumer costs. The Massachusetts Restaurant Association has said it was better to create jobs and advancement opportunities rather than raise wages for entry-level workers such as teenagers.
On than other hand, the group Business for a Fair Minimum Wage has strongly advocated for the increase, saying it will give workers more dollars to spend, reduce turnover and enhance quality and morale. Representatives from the group planned to be at Thursday's bill signing.
According to MassBudget, more than 600,000 workers are at minimum wage, and more than 85 percent of those are age 20 and older. ...
Copyright 2014 Boxcar Media