Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday renewed his call for state lawmakers to increase Pennsylvania s minimum wage.Wolf’s proposal would increase the minimum wage to $12 per hour on July 1, with annual increases until the rate reaches $15 per hour in 2027.Pennsylvania’s minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour since 2009.“This is not about $7.25. It’s about the nearly one million Pennsylvanians who will get a raise at $12 an hour. Too many essential workers are earning poverty wages while putting themselves at risk to keep our society running. They keep food on shelves, move crucial supplies, take care of our children and support people with disabilities. And thousands of them earn poverty wages. These hardworking people deserve better. They deserve a living wage,” Wolf said.Reaction to Wolf’s planAn employer and some workers at York Central Market reacted to the governor’s proposal.Vendor Ron Jacobs said he already pays his employees more than minimum wage but thinks an increase i
Updated: 7:38 AM EST Jan 29, 2021 Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is calling for a minimum wage increase as part of his 2021 agenda.Wolf on Thursday outlined his top priorities for the coming year, including a proposal to increase the state minimum wage to $12 per hour on July 1. That would be followed by annual increases of $0.50 until the rate reaches $15 per hour on July 1, 2027.Pennsylvania s minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, which is the federal minimum.The state minimum wage hasn t increased in more than 10 years, Wolf said, and is keeping families living in poverty.In a news release, Wolf s office said, The COVID-19 pandemic has made raising the state’s embarrassingly low minimum wage more crucial than ever as thousands of essential workers are struggling to buy food and avoid homelessness. A living wage lets people work their way out of poverty, improves productivity and morale for millions of workers, and reduces reliance on public benefits. Raising the wage floor als