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What I've Been Reading This Week


Some readers might have been watching either the RNC last week or the DNC this week and heard a few parts of speeches that dealt with labor and employment law matters.   Last week, I had highlighted some of Ivanka Trump's speech which emphasized equal pay.  I think it is appropriate this week to give a nod to the recently released DNC platform which includes a provision for raising the minimum wage rate to $15/hour. 

As always, below are a couple articles that caught my eye this week.


A Closer Look at the Democratic Party Platform's Position on Minimum Wage Increase

A few weeks ago, I had mentioned that the Democratic Party Platform for 2016 would include support for a $15/hour minimum wage rate.  The Platform, released late last week, calls for a $15/hour minimum wage rate "over time"...not quite what Senator Bernie Sanders had called for, but still more progressive than the $12/hour minimum wage rate that had been advocated by Secretary Clinton.



Last Friday, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed House Bill 5764 which would have raised home health care workers' hourly pay to $15/hour.  According to the Governor, he vetoed the legislation on the grounds that the measure was too costly and contained no funding source.  I doubt this is the last we have heard of an attempt to push for higher hourly wage rates for these workers...but for the time being, the Governor has sunk this measure.


Donald Trump Announces Support of a $10/Hour Minimum Wage Rate

On Tuesday, after initially suggesting that it should be up to each state to set a minimum wage rate (and suggesting that the federal minimum wage rate should be done away with), Trump indicated he would in fact support a $10/hour minimum wage rate at the federal level.  It goes without saying that this has turned into an evolving position on the matter.  (Note, Trump followed up on this Wednesday at his press conference when he responded to a reporter's question and affirmed he supported a $10/hour federal minimum wage rate.)  Of course this is in opposition to the DNC party platform that has advocated for a $15/hour minimum wage rate and Hillary Clinton's support of a $12/hour minimum wage rate scaled in over a few years.

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