Ohio's Minimum Wage Increases to $7.85
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Workers covered under Ohio’s minimum wage law are getting a 15-cent increase in their hourly wage taking them to $7.85 an hour. The new rate took effect New Year's Day.
In 2006, the Ohio AFL-CIO and the coalition Ohioans for a Fair Minimum Wage successfully placed a constitutional amendment on the ballot, which tied Ohio’s minimum wage rate to the Consumer Price Index. The CPI increased over 1.7% from Sept. 1, 2011 to Sept. 31, 2012.
“These rate increases keep the minimum wage in pace with inflation, and that wasn’t always the case when the decision was left to politicians,” said Tim Burga, president of the Ohio AFL-CIO. “Those who are only making the minimum wage are essentially just surviving. After buying gas and groceries, too many Ohioans are broke until the next paycheck. This increase will slow down the race to the bottom and help lift up those Ohioans struggling to make ends meet. These modest increases can also generate revenue for our local economies- something we are in desperate need of here in Ohio.”
SOURCE: Ohio AFL-CIO.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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