State House to hear wage legislation

(Concord, NH - January 14th, 2016) The New Hampshire House begins consideration of a variety of measures aimed at increasing the wage floor for New Hampshire workers next Tuesday, January 19th. The House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee will hold hearings on legislation to reinstate a state minimum wage, to eliminate the so-called “tipped minimum” wage for tipped workers, and to require that taxpayer-funded building projects pay a competitive wage to all workers employed on them.

State and local governments around the country have, since the end of the Great Recession, been experimenting with ways to increase the spending power of working Americans and to close the income gap. Cities like New York and Seattle have increased minimum wages and states including Alaska, California, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington have eliminated sub-minimum wages for tipped employees in order to increase spending power among low-wage households and speed the recovery thru increased consumer spending. The current minimum wage in New Hampshire is the federal minimum of $7.25 while tipped employees are only guaranteed a mere $3.25 per hour.

While recent attempts to increase the wage floor in New Hampshire have failed, proponents see reason for optimism in the national momentum building behind such legislation around the country and in Washington D.C.

“Both Sec. Clinton and Sen. Sanders have expressed support for legislation bringing up the minimum wage to nearly $15.00, legislation that Sen. Shaheen also supports,” says Rep. Jackie Cilley (D-Barrington) who sponsored a bill in the last session which would have raised New Hampshire’s minimum wage to $15.00 and is a current sponsor of the proposal to eliminate the tipped minimum and to demand fair wages on taxpayer-funded building projects.

“In the year since I introduced my minimum wage bill, public opinion has really moved, both nationally and locally, on the need for a livable wage for our workers.”

The House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee will hear testimony on these three bills beginning with consideration of HB1641 (governing wages on taxpayer-funded building projects) at 10:00AM in Reps Hall at the State House. Hearings on HB 1346 (which would eliminate the so-called “tipped minimum wage”) and HB 1641 (governing the wages paid on taxpayer-funded building projects) follow at 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM, respectively in Reps Hall.

For more information about these hearings, call the House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee at (603) 271-3125.