Advocates rally at the capitol to demand higher minimum wage
Kaimuki resident Brandy Gouveia, 24, works 80 hours a week to pay for her $1,350 studio apartment with added bills.
She said it’s still not enough.
“I grew up in foster care, so I don’t have an auntie or uncle to call,” Gouveia said in an interview. “Everything I have comes out of my pocket. Last year I had to take a graveyard shift as a second source of income. It took an emotional toll on my health.”
About 50 living wage advocates rallied at the state capitol Wednesday evening to push lawmakers to raise the the hourly wage to $17, from the current minimum of $10.10. The average full-time Hawaiʻi resident making minimum wage makes only $21,000 a year.
