“At a time of historic income inequality, today’s passage of the Raise the Wage Act in the U.S. House of Representatives is a victory for women, families and working people. Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour will especially help women of color, who are more likely to hold low-wage jobs due to barriers such as structural racism. This legislation will also eliminate the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers, which will help close the persistent gender wage gap and diminish the workplace harassment that tipped workers are subjected to. We thank Reps. Robert Scott (D-Va.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) for championing this bill and we now look to the Senate to take swift action.
House leadership has fulfilled a promise today, but there is much more work left to do. The Raise the Wage Act is just one of the pieces of legislation aimed at creating fairer workplaces and dismantling a system that tips the scales against people of color, women and lower-wage workers. The Senate should immediately pass this bill — along with the Paycheck Fairness Act, which passed the House earlier this year. Furthermore, members of Congress who want to prioritize the needs of women and working people should also support and advance national paid leave and paid sick days standards, as well as legislation to combat workplace harassment and discrimination, including pregnancy discrimination.
