Multiple minimums: Congress hasn't raised the federal minimum wage in years, but many states are increasing theirs.

• Author: Broder, John M.
• Position: NATIONAL

BACKGROUND

The first minimum-wage law passed in 1938 during the Depression, when millions rived in poverty. There has been a debate ever since between those who say minimum-wage hikes hurt job creation, particularly for the young and unskilled, and those who see it as a guarantee of basic living standards for workers.

CRITICAL THINKING

* Students should understand that although state or federal minimum wages are set at a certain level, employers are always free to pay higher salaries. Ask students why an employer might pay salaries higher than the required minimum wage.

* (One reason is to compete with other employers for available workers.)

* One of the arguments against the minimum wage is that it is a government intrusion between workers and employers. Should government have a role in requiring private businesses to pay a minimum wage?

* Does government have a social responsibility to try to ensure fair Living standards, or is that better left to the employers and employees to sort out?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

* Why do you think there is such disagreement over basic facts between supporters of and opponents of enacting a higher minimum wage?

* Should the federal minimum wage be structured according to a city's or a region's living costs?

* Should the minimum wage be permanently Lower for teens or others who are not their family's primary wage earners?

WRITING PROMPT

* Have students write a class Letter or e-mail to their U.S. Representative supporting or opposing a higher minimum wage.

FAST FACTS

* The federal minimum wage for workers under 20 is $4.25 per hour for the first 90 days, after which they must be paid $5.15.

* The minimum wage has been raised 19 times since 1938.

WEB WATCH

www.dol.gov/dol/topic/ wages/minimumwage.htm This U.S. Department of Labor Web site provides more than 25 links to questions about the federal. minimum wage and related wage and labor issues.

While Congress has not raised the federal minimum wage for almost 10 years, some states have taken action on their own: Nearly half of the civilian labor force now lives in states where the minimum wage is higher than the rate set by the federal government.

Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have set minimum wages that exceed the federal minimum of $5.15 an hour. And this year, lawmakers in dozens of the remaining states will debate raising their minimum wages.

The federal minimum wage was last raised in 1997. Since then, efforts to increase it have been...