Raise The Wage Virginia Praises House and Senate Committee Passage of $15 Minimum Wage Bills
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
CONTACT:
Lauren Zehyoue, lauren@forourfuturefund.org
Raise The Wage Virginia Praises House and Senate Committee Passage of $15 Minimum Wage Bills
Richmond, Virginia—Raise the Wage Virginia praised Tuesday evening’s House and Senate Committee’s passage of legislation that would incrementally increase the Commonwealth’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $15. Delegate Jeion Ward presented H.B. 395 to the House Labor and Commerce committee and Wednesday morning, Senator Dick Saslaw presented S.B. 7 to the Senate Finance Committee. H.B. 395 will go to House Appropriations Committee and S.B. 7 will go to the Senate floor.
“Hard-working Virginians have waited long enough for a minimum wage and it’s about time the Commonwealth caught up with the rest of the region,” said Raise the Wage Virginia leader Lenace Edwards. “Both bills getting this far would not have happened without the testimonies of faith leaders, low wage workers, business leaders and economists. After pouring in from across the Commonwealth for weeks and ensuring each time the bill was heard, the support was there to talk about why these bills are important to Virginians. Workers are the backbone of our economy and they deserve a living wage. We are excited to see the bill moving forward and will keep fighting for workers to get the raise they deserve.”
Alissa Barron-Menza, Vice President of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage said, “We support raising Virginia’s statewide minimum wage to $15 because it will be good for business, good for customers and good for the economy. Raising the minimum wage will boost the consumer spending that businesses need to survive and thrive. And when businesses pay their employees more adequate wages, they benefit from lower turnover, higher productivity and increased customer satisfaction.”
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Raise the Wage Virginia includes: CASA, UNITE HERE Local 25, 32BJ SEIU, SEIU 512, Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, New Virginia Majority, For Our Future Virginia, Progress Virginia, UFCW Local 400, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy