Newly-Elected Rep. John Hall and Union Members Pledge to ãRaise All Boatsä
Union members call on Congress to raise minimum wage as first step in addressing economic priorities

As his first press conference newly elected Congressman John Hall joined local labor leaders, union members and community activists to pledge his support to fight for issues that matter to working families: affordable healthcare, retirement security, the freedom to form unions, and most urgently, an increase in the federal minimum wage. Paul Ryan, Westchester /Putnam Central Labor Body president along with other local working families joined Rep. John Hall for a press briefing at 595 West Hartsdale Avenue, White Plains, New York

ãWorking families voted for a new direction when they helped put Rep. Hall into office, and weâre eager to work together to fight for an America that works for working families,ä said President Paul Ryan. ãGiving America a raise should be the newly-elected Congressâ first vote, followed by real solutions to Americaâs health care crisis, falling wages, and lack of retirement security.ä

Congressman-Elect John Hall said, ã I applaud the AFL-CIOâs leadership and unceasing efforts on behalf of working families in the United States, which are clearly evidenced by its campaign to raise the minimum wage. For millions of Americans, the weekly pay check doesnât begin to pay the bills. Raising the minimum wage offers much needed assistance to those who are desperately trying to make ends meet. Speaker-Elect Nancy Pelosi has declared that Democrats in the 110th Congress will work to pass the legislation in the first 100 hours to raise the minimum wage, and I will stand with her to accomplish this.ä

This December marks the longest period between pay raises since the federal minimum wage law was first enacted in 1938. The real value of the minimum wage - - now $5.15 an hour - - has dropped to its lowest level in 51 years. Meanwhile, Congress gave itself nine pay raises since 1997÷ totaling $35,000÷all while blocking attempts to raise the federal minimum wage for low-wage workers. Raising the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour would directly benefit 6.6 million low-wage workers across the country, according to the Economic Policy Institute.


In New York, the labor movement was instrumental in helping to secure legislation in 2004 that raised the minimum wage in increments. The minimum wage in New York State is currently $6.75 and will rise to $7.15 on January 1, 2007.

By passing federal legislation to raise the minimum wage to $7.25, about 700,000 workers in New York will see their wages increase.

Thirteen million working people mobilized to elect working family representatives as part of the AFL-CIO Labor 2006 program. The AFL-CIOâs ãAmerica Needs a Raiseä campaign helped lead the effort to pass minimum wage ballot initiatives in Missouri, Ohio, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona and Montana and worked to push minimum wage legislation in 13 others.