By Delonte Harrod
Intersection Magazine, Oct 11, 2024
The fight to provide Maryland citizens with a livable wage continues. On Monday, Oct. 7, members from activist organizations stood alongside Tom Dernoga (District 1), and Krystal Oriadha (District 7) at The Wayne K. Curry building in Upper Marlboro to publicly advocate for a bill that would index the minimum wage in Prince George’s County. ...
Last year, The Intersection reported on the Fair Wage Act. In 2023, a small group of business leaders from Virginia, Maryland and DC met with Gov. Wes Moore so that he could hear the impact of raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour.
There, I spoke with Aaron Seyedian, owner of Well-Paid Maids. His company operates in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties. Seyedian said his company pays employees $22 per hour. He told Moore that it allowed his company to recruit more easily.
“I think we have a chance to do something special,” Moore said last year at the meeting with business leaders. ...
The state, some believe, also missed another opportunity. It excluded indexing from the Fair Wage Act. Shortly after passing the legislation, The Intersection talked with Alissa Barron-Menza, now former vice president of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, about the importance of indexing the minimum wage. At that time, Barron-Menza said she was happy that the legislature passed the bill, but it was unfortunate that the legislature removed indexing the minimum wage from it.. She said businesses benefit when minimum wage is indexed.
“It allows them to plan and adjust [from year to year],” she explained. “ It ensures that the minimum wage doesn’t lose its buying power over time.”
She added: “Ultimately it’s good for the economy. It ensures that working people have enough to get by and our businesses have customers who can afford their products and services.” ...