Federal and state push to increase minimum wage

Both CT legislators and federal lawmakers are discussing minimum wage increases. CT's Reps. Esty and DeLauro are cosponsors of the national Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013, which would raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 over the next three years. After that, the amount of the minimum wage would rise if the cost of living increased. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. According to the bill's sponsors, over 21 million workers across the country would see their wages rise if this legislation passes. SB 387 is the minimum wage legislation that was recently approved by the CT's Legislative Labor Committee. CT's minimum wage bill proposes to increase the minimum wage in CT from $8.25 per hour to $9.75 per hour in two stages over the next two years, and then indexed for inflation starting in 2016.