At GMU Forum, Candidates' Campaigns endorse Federal and State Wage Increases

"No one can listen to the stories of these men and women and not be moved to action," 11th District Democratic Congressional candidate Andrew Hurst told listeners at GMU’s Johnson Cinema last night after viewing WAGING A LIVING, a new film documenting the daily struggles of the working poor in our midst. "It is a national disgrace that our minimum wage has remained at $5.15 per hour – less than $11, 000 per year, barely half the poverty line – for ten years! How many CEOs have gone for ten years without a raise? Our congressional representatives certainly haven’t!"

Fielding questions from Fairfax County Supervisor Cathy Hudgins, Virginia State Delegate Al Eisenberg and Laborers’ International Union Vice President Dennis Martire, Hurst said “It is the job of our representatives to push for an increase in the minimum wage at a federal level and to encourage our state and local legislators to do the same – raising the minimum wage in the state of Virginia and following the lead of Arlington and Alexandria by adopting a living wage requirement in county contracts.”

More at FORUM

EPI Releases Major Assessment of Living Wage Policies

The Economic Policy Institute has released an important analysis of The economic impact of living wages in local jurisdictions. The report begins with an overview of the history and implementation of Living Wage measures and reaches the following conclusions:

Living wage laws have small to moderate effects on municipal budgets.

Living wage laws benefit working families with few or no negative effects.

Living wages laws have raised productivity and decreased turnover among affected firms.

The report concludes with a comprehensive assessment of the effects of living wages on municipalities and consumers.

(Please lick here to read the full report)