Advocates for a living wage will be asking our elected officials to deliver on their promises and pass a living wage bill in the 2021 legislative session. But we can’t do it without support from you.
It’s time to Raise Up Hawaiʻi
Every worker deserves a Living Wage.
At $10.10 an hour, our low-income workers clearly do not have enough to buy food and pay rent—in short, to be “self-sufficient.”
Increasing the minimum wage is a priority for the Hawaiʻi Democratic Party, which passed a resolution last year advocating for a living wage in Hawaiʻi.
The Hawaiʻi legislature will soon decide on two minimum wage bills, SB789 SD2 and HB1191 HD1. These bills should be supported, but with amendments that reflect Hawaiʻi’s high cost of living. Both should have a $17 minimum wage.
During previous hearings in the House, the bill received significant opposition from business interests, but substantially more support from others. Supporters cited research that increases to minimum wage does not substantially harm businesses—often quite the contrary.
“Wages have just not kept up with the cost of living. Even with the last increase to $10.10, I see more and more people becoming homeless because they cannot afford a place to stay.”
From childcare to college, Hawaiʻi Island advocates Jennifer Kagiwada and George Donev told lawmakers that a living wage will transform the community.
Advocates are asking legislators to enact a living wage that keeps up with the high cost of living in what is effectively the most expensive state in the nation.
As a doctor I see the price too many children pay in the form of ailments that can be traced to poverty. I urge lawmakers to enact a real living wage to help my most vulnerable patients have a better shot at life.
“Insights” on PBS Hawaiʻi looks at the pros and cons of raising the state’s minimum wage, and how it will affect our local economy.
