Why America Needs a $15 Minimum Wage
Why America Needs a $15 Minimum Wage Fact Sheet • April 26, 2017 The federal minimum wage is just $7.25 and has not increased since 2009. The Raise the Wage Act of 2017 would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2024. Here is how it would work: Raise the federal minimum wage to $9.25 this year and increase it over the next seven years until it reaches $15 an hour in 2024. After 2024, adjust the minimum wage each year to keep pace with growth in the typical worker’s wages. Phase out the outdated subminimum wage for tipped workers, which has been frozen at a meager $2.13 since 1991.1 Sunset the much-criticized subminimum wages for workers with disabilities employed in sheltered workshops and for workers under age 20 The Raise the Wage Act follows the lead of the growing number of states and cities that have adopted significant minimum wage increases in recent years Since the Fight for $15 was launched by striking fast-food workers in