Phoenix rally attendees call on Sen. Sinema to back $15 minimum wage Activists call on Sen. Kyrsten Sinema to support $15 minimum wage Sen. Sinema, the senior Democratic senator for Arizona, is noted for her vote against a minimum wage during a vote on March 5. She says the Senate should have a debate on the minimum wage that is separate from the COVID relief bill. PHOENIX - March 8 is International Women's Day, and a demonstration was held outside the Phoenix office of Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), where activists demanded a federal minimum wage increase to $15 an hour. Currently, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, the national minimum wage for covered nonexempt employees is $7.25 per hour. The national minimum wage has been $7.25 since 2009, when it was increased from $6.55.