Minimum wage rises Jan. 1 in Pa. to $6.25

The first stage of the two-phase increase in the minimum wage goes into effect Jan. 1, and the Philadelphia Unemployment Project wants to make sure workers know of the increase.
PUP and a host of labor groups and politicians joined together yesterday at a news conference outside the Gallery shopping mall, 10th and Market streets, to promote the news.
"This is organized labor's finest hour, because they fought as long as they could and as effectively as they could," said Gov. Rendell, who stood beside state Sen. Tina Tartaglione, one of the initial sponsors of the measure. "They fought for dignity for people who work hard for a living."
The first stage of the increase will be implemented on Monday, raising the minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $6.25. The second stage, effective July 1, will raise it another 90 cents to $7.15.
Businesses with fewer than 10 full-time workers will raise wages more slowly: $5.65 an hour starting Jan. 1; $6.65 on July 1, and $7.15 on July 1, 2008.
The raise will affect about 90,000 people in the five-county Philadelphia area, Rendell said.
"This will raise the minimum wage for 423,000 Pennsylvanians, and many of them will get a $4,000 raise," he said.
It has been nine years since the minimum wage was raised in the state, and PUP spokesman John Dobbs said "small-interest groups" have held up wage legislation.
Tartaglione, a longtime supporter of wage increases, said: "This is the first time we split from the federal government to do the right thing. I'm happy to lead the charge in the Senate to make this happen."
The speakers wanted to make sure that workers were aware of the wage raise should an employer not abide by the new law.
"This increase is extremely important to our Latino communities, as the truth is many Latinos still work at the minimum-wage level," said Alida Padilla of Congreso de Latinos Unidos.
"Congreso is dedicated to do its part to ensure that Latinos know how to advocate for themselves in getting fair wages."
The biggest part of the advocacy is awareness of the wage and the willingness to report an employer if the wage requirement is not met.
"Every minimum-wage worker in Pennsylvania should be earning $6.25," Rendell said. "If you are not getting that $6.25, report it as fast as you can to the Department of Labor and Industry in your local area."
U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah enthusiastically embraced the minimum-wage increase and promised more action from Congress.
"It's good to see our state lead and not follow," said Fattah, who also said that Congress will address the minimum-wage issue during the first 100 hours of its next session.