Editor’s note: The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25. It was last raised in July 2009.
The concept of the minimum wage was first enacted in 1938 as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act to reduce poverty, which along with the National Labor Relations Act established principles of worker justice to ensure that workers would receive fair wages and be treated justly. The current minimum wage of $5.15 per hour has been in effect for the past ten years. Taking inflation into account, the buying power of the minimum wage, $10,300 for full-time year-round workers, is at its lowest point in fifty years. One tank of gas at the current minimum wage requires the pay for nine hours of work.
To continue reading, please click here.