Oregon’s minimum wage is one of the top in the nation at $9.10. However, other states are not so lucky — the federal minimum is $7.25. HR 1010, the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013, seeks to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10.
University of Oregon freshman Carly Gough works part-time at Dairy Queen earning minimum wage. Gough works while attending school because “loans are crazy, books are so expensive and I wanted to load up on savings.”
It is a struggle to live comfortably off a student paycheck. “I would have to work more, and even then I’m not sure. In the summer I was almost full time, even then I only made about $500 a paycheck,” Gough said.
Representatives Peter DeFazio, Suzanne Bonamici and Earl Blumenauer from Oregon are co-sponsors of the bill. DeFazio first cosponsored HR 1010 when it was presented on March 6, 2013.
“Right now, the federal minimum wage of $7.25 is leaving 25 million American workers behind, all while lining the pockets of the people at the very top. It’s time for the rest of the country to adopt what’s already happening in Oregon: tying the minimum wage to inflation. Giving workers a long-overdue raise would lift millions of Americans out of poverty. That’s not only good for the workers, but also for the U.S. economy and its long-term growth,” DeFazio said.
Gough’s typical paycheck ranges from $150 to $220 and she receives them twice a month — one at the start and one at the end. Gough’s duties include cleaning, serving ice cream orders, taking orders and working the cash register.
“I know for a lot of people fast food is their career, so it (the current wage) kinda sucks there. It is fine for what I need,” Gough said.
Gough has the Pathway Oregon scholarship, which covers her tuition and fees, leaving her to cover her living and book expenses. She puts most of her paycheck into savings and use it for books, plus the other necessities that scholarships don’t cover. “My parents help where they can,” Gough said.
“I would love that (increase in minimum wage), but I don’t know that it is necessary. It’s hard to say. It would bump prices for Dairy Queen, so then everything could just balance out,” Gough said.
HR 1010 currently has 196 cosponsors. The latest action with the bill took place on Feb. 26, 2014 when it received a Motion to Discharge Committee.
HR 1010 will amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and increase the minimum wage gradually. It will start with an increase to $8.20, three months after the bill is enacted.
After one year the wage will then increase to $9.15. The wage will reach the $10.10 increase after two years. After three years, the Secretary of Labor will determine the amount of minimum wage based on the Consumer Price Index. The Secretary of Labor will continue to decide the minimum wage annually after that point.