the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Jul 22, 2019
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. The 231-199 vote was almost strictly along party lines with all but six Democrats voting for and all but three Republicans against the bill.
In passing this bill, the Democrats are simply making political hay, positioning themselves for the coming 2020 elections as the party that cares most for the working people. They know, however, that this bill has zero chance of even being taken up in the Senate, let alone be signed into law by Donald Trump.
Even were the Democrats to win the presidential election and take control of the Senate, it remains to be seen if they would still pass this bill. And if they do? It doesn’t raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour until 2025, a full thirteen years after the beginning of the $15 minimum wage fight.
If the minimum wage had kept pace with productivity increases, it would be close to $20 an hour, today!
All workers, including those being paid the minimum today, deserve much higher pay. We can’t afford to wait on politicians who pretend to be the workers’ friend.