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Raising the Minimum Wage The minimum wage in Wisconsin is $5.15 per hour. It is unchanged since 1997. In the eight years since then, the cost of living has risen by almost 10%. Almost one in five Wisconsin workers earns this wage which leaves a full time worker below poverty and dependent on public assistance for food stamps, medical care and other services to survive. There is almost universal consensus that the wage is too low but there is a serious political conflict around raising the wage floor. Governor Doyle proposed raising the wage to $6.50 but some business leaders and lawmakers have fought this plan for months. Frustrated by the lack of action, the Cities of Madison and Milwaukee acted independently to increase their minimum wage rates. An additional 18 cities are looking to do the same. In response, the business and legislative wage-hike opponents proposed a state law which forbids localities to raise minimum wage and pre-empts the minimum wage increases passed already. Last year, the Governor vetoed this same proposal. Knowing that the Governor could veto such a bill again, the authors of the bill have offered to make a deal. They will support the Governor’s wage plan if it is enacted fare more slowly. In exchange, they want the Governor to support their pre-emption bill which bans cities from passing their own wage hikes. IWF is working with labor leaders and city officials statewide to oppose the bill which overrides municipal wage hikes because it undermining local control and will cut the pay of hundreds of low wage workers in areas where the minimum wage is already in place. IWF has developed a Tool Kit explaining the minimum wage issue with statistics showing how a higher minimum wage benefits families as well as the entire community. The kit also provides a sample ordinance, op-eds and information on how to pass a wage hike ordinance locally. Email Kristin Settle for a visit to your city and presentation to groups interested in raising the local minimum wage. Read Kristin's opinion is the Wisconsin
State Journal This Tool Kit contains the following in pdf format:
Additional Resources and Reports Center on Wisconsin Strategy -
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