WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced his support for a bill to raise the federal minimum wage from the current $7.25 to $12 by 2020 through incremental increases over the next four years. This increase would provide a raise for nearly 38 million workers nationwide, including 1.4 million Ohioans.

“Minimum wage and tipped workers shouldn’t have to struggle to get by. They deserve a living wage to help put food on the table and care for their families,” said Brown. “Increasing the minimum wage to $12 will not only help our workers – it will also boost our economy and local businesses. Ohioans working in minimum wage jobs deserve pay that reflects their hard work. This bill is one step we can take toward addressing stagnant wages nationwide.”

In 2014, the minimum wage was 24 percent below its 1968 level despite the fact that worker productivity has more than doubled. Later today, the Raise the Wage Act will be introduced by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Brown, and a group of lawmakers.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, raising the minimum wage to $12 per hour would increase wages for 1,483,000 working Ohioans and 37.7 million workers nationwide or more than a quarter of the workforce. Half of these affected workers have a total family income of $40,000 per year. More than a quarter of the workers have children.

Brown has fought to increase workers’ wages, address income inequality, and ensure paid sick leave for workers. He has also worked to increase wages for tipped workers, which could lift hundreds of thousands of workers out of poverty.

 

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