2008 Woodie Awards
Minimum wage set to increase
Peter Ruble
Issue date: 10/18/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Washington State, which holds the highest minimum wage in the country at $7.63 an hour, will increase its minimum wage by 30 cents to $7.93 an hour beginning Jan. 1, 2007, according to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.
The increase comes from Initiative 688, which was approved by Washington voters in 1998. The law requires the state minimum wage be adjusted each year according to changes in the cost for shelter, medical care, food, and transportation as well as other goods and services required for daily living. This is calculated for food service and other service jobs during a 12 month period ending each August 31. 15 and 16 year olds can make 85% of the adult minimum wage.
For some minimum wage earners the increase seems to provide little comfort. Janet Blake, a 42-year-old waitress in Gig Harbor who desires to start college in winter quarter, looks at the annual minimum wage increase as a source of frustration. "They increase it every year. It doesn't mean anything because the gas prices increase, the rent goes up along with everything else. I'm contemplating moving back in with my parents and I shouldn't have to do that at 42."
Minji Kim, A Senior Accounting major at the University of Washington Tacoma, who earns minimum wage working part time at the UWT library said, "There is a trade off. If the minimum wage is really high, but there's a lot of unemployment, it doesn't really matter. I think the current minimum wage is fair, but the increase doesn't really account for the increases in the cost of living. When you have bills to pay and mouths to feed, at the very least it needs to match that."
Kelly Minzer, a high school senior who lives on her own, has to juggle school with two minimum wage jobs. "It's a form of child labor," she said. "It's not like you work hard to get ahead, you have to keep working harder and harder just to get by. Now, kids are having to start younger and younger. I'm not complaining, though, I like my job."
According to Elaine Fischer, a Spokesperson for the Department of Labor and Industries, 5% of Washington State jobs are minimum wage, equating to a total of 160,000 jobs. "40% are in the restaurant industry and the remaining are a combination of service jobs such as clerical and retail," she said. "We enforce laws, but we don't make them," said Fischer. She went on to add that the Department of Labor and Industries does not perform any of the studies that help determine minimum wage
The increase comes from Initiative 688, which was approved by Washington voters in 1998. The law requires the state minimum wage be adjusted each year according to changes in the cost for shelter, medical care, food, and transportation as well as other goods and services required for daily living. This is calculated for food service and other service jobs during a 12 month period ending each August 31. 15 and 16 year olds can make 85% of the adult minimum wage.
For some minimum wage earners the increase seems to provide little comfort. Janet Blake, a 42-year-old waitress in Gig Harbor who desires to start college in winter quarter, looks at the annual minimum wage increase as a source of frustration. "They increase it every year. It doesn't mean anything because the gas prices increase, the rent goes up along with everything else. I'm contemplating moving back in with my parents and I shouldn't have to do that at 42."
Minji Kim, A Senior Accounting major at the University of Washington Tacoma, who earns minimum wage working part time at the UWT library said, "There is a trade off. If the minimum wage is really high, but there's a lot of unemployment, it doesn't really matter. I think the current minimum wage is fair, but the increase doesn't really account for the increases in the cost of living. When you have bills to pay and mouths to feed, at the very least it needs to match that."
Kelly Minzer, a high school senior who lives on her own, has to juggle school with two minimum wage jobs. "It's a form of child labor," she said. "It's not like you work hard to get ahead, you have to keep working harder and harder just to get by. Now, kids are having to start younger and younger. I'm not complaining, though, I like my job."
According to Elaine Fischer, a Spokesperson for the Department of Labor and Industries, 5% of Washington State jobs are minimum wage, equating to a total of 160,000 jobs. "40% are in the restaurant industry and the remaining are a combination of service jobs such as clerical and retail," she said. "We enforce laws, but we don't make them," said Fischer. She went on to add that the Department of Labor and Industries does not perform any of the studies that help determine minimum wage
Be the first to comment on this story