WASHINGTON, D.C. – Millions of Ohio workers would receive a raise under new legislation supported by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH). The Fair Minimum Wage Act would raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour in three steps and provide the first minimum wage increase to tipped employees in more than 20 years.

Brown held a news conference call today to call for passage of the bill and detail his recent conversations with business owners who support an increase in the Federal minimum wage so that low wage workers can take care of their families.

“Ohio citizens work hard, play by the rules, and should be able to take care of their families. But too many Ohioans are working harder than ever – and barely getting by,” said Brown. “Working full-time in a minimum wage job in Ohio pays about $16,000 per year – which isn’t much to live on when you’re trying to put food on the table, fill your gas tanks, send your children to school, and provide a safe place for them to live. Ensuring a fair wage is good for middle class families and good for our economy.”

Brown is the cosponsor of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013, legislation that would raise the federal minimum wage. It would raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour from its current $7.25—in three steps of 95 cents—then provide for automatic annual increases linked to changes in the cost of living. The bill would also gradually raise the minimum wage for tipped workers—which currently stands at just $2.13 an hour—for the first time in more than 20 years, to 70 percent of the regular minimum wage.

Workers who are paid a minimum wage in Ohio earn only $16,000 per year, which is more than $3,000 below the poverty level for a family of three. The Fair Minimum Wage Act would boost the minimum wage to $21,000, lifting families above the poverty line. According to the National Employment Law Project, the minimum wage has lost more than 30 percent over the last forty years. If the minimum wage had kept up with inflation, it would be worth approximately $10.55 per hour today. Increasing the minimum wage would boost GDP by nearly $33 billion and generate 140,000 new jobs over the course of three years as workers spend their raises in their local businesses and communities.

For new research on the impact of the Fair Minimum Wage Act on Ohio, see HERE.

Brown recently met with businesses supporting an increase in the Federal minimum wage, including the Yankee Kitchen, a diner in Youngstown; Grounds for Thought, a coffeehouse and bookstore in Bowling Green; Dempsey’s, a restaurant in Columbus; Brothers Printing, a print shop in Cleveland; and Synergistic Systems, a computer consulting company also in the Cleveland area.

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