The state of Washington officially announced that the State's minimum wage will increase by 12 cents to $8.67 on January 1st. The decision came after a 3-week debate between the state attorney general and the authors that ties the minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index in 1998. Because of the inflation, the state wage didn't go up last year, but it is growing now but at a slow rate. When asked, Attorney General Rob McKenna said there is no way to increase the minimum wage if the the price index increases to less than the level the current wage is based upon. Labor & Industries spokeswoman Kim Contris said that the state raises the rate "based on how we believe a court would interpret the law." But it has to be careful because the court could overturn the decision. That will impact several lowest-paid workers. The tie of the wage to inflation doesn't lower the wage. That means the minimum wage stays flat if the price index falls.
B. Personal response:
This article is really important to the citizens of Washington because it tells them the truth of how their wages are conducted and how and when does the Washington minimum wage increase. It has an important impact on Washington citizens' lives. Personally, I think that is a really good news for Washington people that their minimum wage is gonna increase. They will be paid more and have a better life. As an international student in Washington, somehow it will indirectly benefit to my education.
C. Vocabulary:
Index (n): a number or ratio (a value on a scale of measurement) derived from a series of observed facts; can reveal relative changes as a function of time.
E.g: The minimum wage is tied to the Cosumer Price Index.
Harmonize (v): bring (several things) into consonance or relate harmoniously.
E.g: I can harmonize my goal with my ability.
Implement (v): pursue to a conclusion or bring to a successful issue.
E.g: They think they can implement the laws by doing so.
I think that Washington state has a relatively high hourly wage if compare with other states. Meanwhile, Washington state has a higher living expense than other states. The increase of the minimum wage would certainly be a big plus to the poor people in Washington state.
ReplyDeleteI also think that this increase could directly benefit the international students. Because the international students only can work on campus, most of the on campus jobs only pay the minimum wage. Thus, the increase in wage also allows the international students to earn more while they're paying a huge amount of tuition.