75 years later

“A fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work”—that was President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s goal when he signed the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) 75 years ago today, establishing a federal minimum wage. It was a wonderful start—and now it’s time to make sure the minimum wage works for the 21st century.
TAKE ACTION: Urge your Senators and Representative to support the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013.
The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013 will provide a much-needed update to the minimum wage. The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 per hour for almost four years — and at that rate, a woman working full time, year round earns just $14,500: nearly $4,000 below the poverty line for a family of three. The bill will gradually raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour, and index it to inflation in order to keep up with the rising cost of living. It will also increase the minimum cash wage for tipped workers to 70 percent of the regular minimum wage — because right now the federal minimum cash wage for tipped workers is only $2.13 per hour.
ACT NOW: Tell your Members of Congress that it’s time for minimum-wage workers to get a raise!
Need a reason to act? How about five:

Women represent nearly two-thirds of minimum-wage workers and workers in tipped occupations.
Women are the majority in the 10 largest occupations that pay less than $10.10 per hour (and seven of these occupations have two-thirds or more women workers).
Increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 would boost annual earnings by $5,700—enough to pull a family of three out of poverty.
Raising the minimum wage will boost earnings for more than 30 million workers—generating additional economic activity and creating jobs as workers spend this income quickly to make ends meet.
Raising the minimum wage would help close the gender wage gap, and would be especially helpful to women of color, who are disproportionately represented among female minimum-wage workers.

Minimum-wage workers across the country can’t afford to wait for a raise any longer. Celebrate the 75th anniversary of the minimum wage by taking action!
Thank you for all you do for women and families.
Sincerely,

Joan Entmacher Vice President, Family Economic Security National Women’s Law Center

P.S. States can set a higher minimum wage — and some states have done so just this year! Find out how your state is doing by checking out our interactive map.