This week in the war on workers: $15 minimum wage and paid family leave in Massachusetts
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Massachusetts lawmakers sprang into action this week to keep planned initiatives for a $15 minimum wage, paid leave and a reduced sales tax off the November ballot—and it’s mostly good. The bad precursor to the “grand bargain” legislation is that iThis week in the war on workers: $15 minimum wage and paid family leave in Massachusetts
Massachusetts lawmakers sprang into action this week to keep planned initiatives for a $15 minimum wage, paid leave and a reduced sales tax off the November ballot—and it’s mostly good. The bad precursor to the “grand bargain” legislation is that it came only after the state’s Supreme Judicial Court killed a ballot question that would have raised taxes on the highest earners to fund education and transportation. That’s a major loss to the state, and what you get when a Republican governor—even one who throws decency the occasional bone as this week by saying no to sending National Guard troops to the border—is appointing judges. But with that off the table, legislators quickly passed a $15 minimum wage, to be phased in over five years; 12 weeks of paid family leave and 20 weeks of paid medical leave; and headed off a measure lowering the sales tax (and cutting revenue significantly) with an agreement for a sales tax holiday. This is mostly good, if you can forget the loss of the millionaire’s tax. But there are some problems. In exchange for the minimum wage increase, the state will phase out a law requiring workers to get time and a half on Sundays and holidays, a major loss for many. The minimum wage for tipped workers will also only rise to 45 percent of the regular minimum wage—this in the week that Washington, D.C, voters passed one fair wage for all. Raise Up Massachusetts, the coalition pushing the minimum wage and paid leave questions, is still considering whether to keep the minimum wage on the ballot given the weaknesses in what the state legislature passed. Read more