Word: wages
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...Proponents of the six initiatives want their states to join the 22 others that have already raised state minimum wage levels above the federal figure, which has been stuck at $5.15 for nearly a decade. With the value of the federal minimum wage now at its lowest inflation-adjusted total in 50 years, proponents of the initiatives argue that states have to step in on behalf of the poorest of workers. Opponents say mandated wage hikes would hurt business owners and cost jobs...
...Although wage initiatives crop up periodically, this year the stagnation of the federal minimum wage inspired initiative proponents to add a powerful element to each of their proposals: indexing the wage floor to inflation. The idea is to ensure that low-wage workers don't see their purchasing power decline every year as costs rise and their wages remain static. Washington, Oregon, Florida and Vermont have already enacted such indexes. Opponents argue that indexing could lead to spiraling labor costs, but a recent analysis by Michael Ettlinger of the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a progressive research institute, suggests that there...
...Given the popularity of the minimum wage proposals, opponents have been trying out novel strategies. In Ohio the latest tack has been to argue that the the fine print in the state's ballot initiative represents a threat to employer and employee privacy. A group called Ohioans to Protect Personal Privacy (OTPPP) has placed ads to that effect, urging voters to reject the initiative because they claim it would enable nearly anyone to access employees' job records without their permission. But Peter P. Swire, a law professor at the Ohio State University and former Chief Counselor for Privacy...
...Montana, where a Mason-Dixon poll shows 71% support for a $1 minimum wage hike, an opposition group recently tried to challenge the signatures gathered by the initiative supporters. But last week a judge ruled that the challenge had been filed too late. In Colorado, opponents of the wage initiative, dubbed Amendment 42, say that raising entry-level pay in the state to $6.85 would hinder job growth. They ran a TV ad showing Moses pleading with God for divine intervention to stop the wage initiative. "We can't let the people make this mistake," God responds. "Go. Spread...
...Opponents of minimum wage hikes in all six states have consistently argued that raising minimum wages burdens employers with higher labor costs, leading to job cuts. A September paper by David Macpherson of Florida State University advanced that claim, arguing that a wage hike in Arizona could cause 4,627 workers to lose their jobs. But the paper relies on assumptions that many economists consider outdated and inaccurate. Recent studies have shown little evidence of such job losses in states that have raised their minimum wage in recent years. A letter signed by 650 U.S. economists, including five past presidents...