A Wall Street Journal editorial states that the US economy generated 9M new jobs since Congress stopped raising the minimum wage in 1981. Yet, Organized Labor which supports job creation, makes a strong pitch for the Kennedy-Hawkins "Minimum Wage Restoration Act". The Journal fears that Labor Secretary Brock may compromise away President Reagan's opposition to the minimum wage. In an article published on March 26, 2009, AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka wrote about his concerns with the proposed legislation and its impact on unions. Senator Quayle has calculated that Democratic projects on minimum wage and health coverage would add $1.19 to wage costs at the bottom of the income scale.
A Wall Street Journal editorial states that the US economy generated 9M new jobs since Congress stopped raising the minimum wage in 1981. Yet, Organized Labor which supports job creation, makes a strong pitch for the Kennedy-Hawkins "Minimum Wage Restoration Act". The Journal fears that Labor Secretary Brock may compromise away President Reagan's opposition to the minimum wage. Kennedy-Hawkins would raise the wage from $3.35 to $4.65 in three years. Senator Quayle has calculated that Democratic projects on minimum wage and health coverage would add $1.19 to wage costs at the bottom of the income scale.