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Thank you for all your work on behalf of increasing the minimum wage.
Senate Update:
Last November, the Senate voted to approve an amendment by Senator Domenici to S. 625, the Bankruptcy Reform bill, that would increase the minimum wage by $1 over three years; provide tax cuts for businesses; and, amend the Fair Labor Standards Act in a manner that would threaten overtime pay for millions of Americans. Minimum wage advocates do not support this amendment. The bankruptcy bill is currently in a conference committee and it is unlikely that this provision will be retained in the final conference report.
In response, Senators Daschle and Kennedy introduced S. 2284, the Minimum Wage Increase Act of 2000, on March 23, 2000. This is a clean bill which would increase the minimum wage by 50 cents sometime after April 1 of this year and by an additional 50 cents sometime after April 1 during 2001. This bill would also extend the minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act to the Northern Mariana Islands.
House Update:
On March 9, 2000, the House overwhelmingly voted in favor of increasing the minimum wage by $1 over two years by approving H.R. 3846. Unfortunately, this measure was automatically engrossed in another bill, H.R. 3081, that would provide $122 billion in tax breaks for businesses, reduce the inheritance tax, and could threaten overtime pay for workers.
Action:
Please meet with the Senators from the states listed below to request their support for S. 2284. The best time to do this is during the Easter recess, Monday, April 17th through Tuesday, April 25th.
If you need further information please contact: Thom Shellabarger, 202.541.3189 tshellabarger@usccb.org